Fates Collide
by Brandocko
Summary: Ruby contemplates what to do while on break from life as a Beacon student. She soon learns about an exchange program done at Chaldea Academy, the school Jaune's sister goes to. Wanting to meet her and experience life in a different setting, the silver eyed girl invites her friends to join her on this adventure. I do not own RWBY or any Fate series.
1. Chapter 1 - A Whole New World

**AN: Hey everyone, I have a new story I wanted to put out the first few chapters for before I finish one of my other stories. This one is a crossover between RWBY and the Fate series but is not what you may think. This is not a Holy War for the grail with one series as servants to the others. I planned that concept multiple ways, but it never worked out that well in my head. Plus, I have written a couple of dark stories already and wanted to do something that was a bit more casual and non-world ending. Here, I wanted to make something that allowed me to work with as many of the Fate characters as possible, without a looming threat impeding the story. And I like the idea of incorporating RWBY cast because I see a lot of similar characters between both series. There are a lot of things I need to clarify with this story, but I will leave most of that to the authors note at the end. For now, note that this takes place in Remnant around the time between Volume one and two. However, this does not put Vale in a dire situation and alters Cinder's plans and actions, (Note that Neo is already part of her team with Emerald and Mercury. She is also in her normal attire and I did this, so I could include her in this story). Also, this is a story I wanted to do a lot more with relationships; mentoring, befriending, and a couple of romantic ones I want to try and write because I don't normally focus on those aspects of the stories I write. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 1 – A Whole New World**

In the Beacon Academy Library, Jaune sat in front of a computer screen. He had a smile on his face as he typed. In the corner of his eye, he noticed his friend with the silver eyes, "Ruby!" He called out, momentarily forgetting he was in the library after gaining the girl's attention.

Ruby walked over to her friend quietly, not wanting to attract any more awkward attention from the already annoyed students, "Hey Jaune, how did your finals go?" she asked as she sat down in the free seat to his right.

"I did okay," He replied with slight disappointment in his voice, "I wish they were better, but they wouldn't have been nearly as good if Pyrrha didn't help me study. You?"

"Oh, they were good. The all-night study session helped. But, I think Pyrrha might have been a better teacher than Weiss was." Ruby replied with a slight giggle in her voice, "I just came here to return some book and decided on what to do for the long break. Yang wants our team to rent a car and go on a road trip to the other kingdoms. Weiss wants to stay here and train for the next year, maybe shadow a huntsman or two. And Blake wants to…well…stay here and do some reading." Ruby said as something appeared on Jaune's computer screen. She continued as he started to type, "They left it up to me to decide what we are going to do, but I can't make up my mind?" The silver eyed girl looked over at the computer screen, "So, what's your team going to do?"

"We haven't decided yet," Jaune replied as he maintained eye contact with the screen, "I'm sorry. I'm talking with my sister."

"Oh, I forgot you had sisters. My bad, I'll let you chat," Ruby said as she waited while he typed. After a few seconds, she tried to look at the screen over his shoulder, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing much, just catching up." He replied as he tried to block the screen causally with the back of his head, "She goes to a different academy that's a little more private." He said as the silver eyed girl red a very interesting text.

"My school is running an exchange program this break. A few teams can stay at the academy, take classes, and experience our way of living in the world of Remnant. Want to come over and train with your older sister?" Ruby read before turning back to Jaune, "I think that's a cool thing they are doing," Suddenly, the silver eyed girl had an idea, "Jaune, that's our teams can do this summer!" she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting she was in the library.

After hearing other students shush them for their outburst, Jaune continued the conversation, "Ruby, I don't know about this. Do you really think the others want their break from school to be…more school?"

"But it's like she said, it's their way of living in the world of Remnant. We could learn a lot from them." Ruby responded in her persuasive tone, "Plus, I want to meet your sister. She seems nice."

"Well, I haven't seen her in a while." Jaune replied before he paused for a second, "Okay, I'll talk with the others if you can convince your team to come along. Then, I'll let my sister know the good news."

"Awesome, I'm sure I can convince my team to join." Ruby said as a big smile formed on her face, "This is going to be the best break ever!" She said in an overjoyed tone, again forgetting she was in the library.

A few days later.

In the middle of the sky, a large airplane sorrowed through the clouded. Inside, Ruby sat on in the middle seat on the right-hand side. She was asleep as a soft mask covered her eyes, a bit drool leaked out the right corner of her mouth. Her head listed lazily to the left, stopping upon hit her teammate Weiss's shoulder. The heiress had headphones on as she watched a movie on her scroll. Upon feeling her team leader's presence, Weiss somewhat forcefully nudged the sleeping girl with her right elbow.

"Wha-!?" Ruby jutted awake, bouncing slightly out of her seat, "Are we there!?" She said as she pushed up her sleeping mask.

"No, Miss Rose." A voice called out to the right of the silver eyed girl. She turned to see her teacher at Beacon, Glynda, next to her on. The professor was typing on her tablet, before adjusting her glasses. "But, we should be landing shortly."

Ruby sighed before relaxing back into her chair, "That's good, the trip there has been kind of boring. I feel like we have been on this plane forever." Ruby said as she looked over to the seats in front of her. She saw her sister, Yang, giggling as she watched the in-flight movie. Blake sat to the blonde girl's left, read as she used the light from her scroll to easily see the words in her book. In the row ahead, Ren laid asleep with his head resting on a pillow. Next to him sat Nora, eating from what looked to be her fifth bag of peanuts. On the row across, Jaune sat next to Pyrrha. The red-haired warrior rubbed her leader's back with her left hand as he had a queasy expression holding a brown paper bag. Ruby turned back to her professor, "Thanks again for supervising us on of trip. We couldn't get both teams form our school without your help."

"Ozpin was hoping students would take advantage of this opportunity. He was just not expecting your and Mr. Ark's team to bring up the subject so soon after its announcement." Glynda responded with a slight smile, "The other professors chose to partake in some type of safari. While I am more interested in how this school operates as an institution." Glynda said as she continued to scroll on her tablet, "It seems their terminology and use of technology differ heavily from the other kingdoms, including Vale."

"Wow," Ruby said as she rubbed her eyes with her left hand, "I think I'm going to wash my face before we land." The silver eyed girl said before she stood up. She slid past her professor and began walking to the back of the airship. As she made it to the door to the bathroom, she noticed it was occupied. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened.

Out walked a woman with long black hair that covered her right eye. However, she still maintained a piercing gaze with her amber left eye looking down on Ruby, "After you." The woman gestured as she got out of the way of the silver eyed girl.

"Thanks," Ruby said with a smile as the black haired responded with a smile of her own. She walked back to her seat a few rows behind Weiss. The black-haired woman sat down and gazed out the window. She watched the clouds pass by with a slight smile on her face. Next to her sat a woman with mint colored hair, who was reading from a hardcover book. She glared at the grey-haired man sitting next to her, who was hogging the armrests. His eyes were closed as a foam, neck pillow aiding in his relaxation. Behind the three sat a pint-sized girl with pink and brown hair. She sat quietly in the middle seat, the row to herself with a smug smile on her face. She was indulging in the space and freedom.

Before Ruby entered the restroom, "They seem nice." The silver eyed girl thought before entering the restroom, closing the door behind her.

A while later.

On the outside of the airport, a woman waited while she sat on a bench. Her hair was blond and breaded into a long ponytail. She wore a dark blue blazer with a small tie and white undershirt. Her mini skirt and thigh high stocks were also dark blue. She watched the crowds of people pass by until she spotted the leader of Team JNPR, accompanied by his friends carrying their luggage, "Jaune!" She called as she stood up.

Jaune turned towards the woman quickly approaching, a smile forming on his. The two embraced with a hug, "It's good to see you." He said before letting go of her, moving out of the way so Ruby and the others could see, "Everyone, this is my sister."

Jaune introduced with his sister giving a slight bow, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you all." She then pleased her right hand on her chest, "My name is Jeanne. I'm Jaune's older sister by two years."

"Wait," Yang interrupted as she put down had a look of confusion, "Jaune and …Jeanne?"

The brother and sister had a slight chuckle at her response, "I know they sound very similar, that was an issue for us when growing up." She answered with Jaune having a slight smile on his face. Jeanne looked down at her watch, noticing the time, "For now, let's head over to the academy." She said with the others nodding.

Jeanne led the group out of the lobby area towards a large, double-decker, red bus. They bordered the vehicle, Ruby being the last to enter. She found a seat next to the female Arc on the right side of the bus. As soon as she sat down, the engine started and the bus began to move.

As the road through the town, the silver eyed girl could see the many homes and storefronts. She was caught by the enticing aroma of bread passing the bakery, the strong scent of grounded beans from the coffee shop, she could even smell a hint of wine form a nearby pub. As she looked at the buildings, the brickwork hypnotized her. The bricks of white, brown, and grey formed patters in the wall. Ruby looked at the sky, seeing the setting sun. The lighted changed to an orangish hue as she saw some street lanterns begin to turn on, "This really peaceful." Ruby said as she felt the silence of land put a tranquil smile on her face.

"This land is very different from the Vale you are used to," Jeanne answered as they bus made it out of the town, taking them on a long road. The road was surrounded by two grassy plains that seem to stretch for miles, "You are now in Apocrypha."

"So, do you have to worry about Grimm attacking the city?" Ruby said as she noticed a forest in the far distance to her right, "You must have a lot of huntsmen and huntresses on watch."

"No, those creatures have not gotten near the people of this land in ages." Jeanne said with Ruby still having a look of confusion, "Apocrypha does not have the geographical advantages the other kingdoms have. That lead to most of the residents leaving this land and traveling to the other kingdoms due to the constant invasions. However, not all could leave for various reasons. And those that chose to protect the people had to use everything they had to save those they cared about." She then turned to Ruby with a slight smile, "That is why we do not call them Huntsmen or Huntresses in this land. We call them Heroic Spirits, people who save lives even at the cost of their own."

"Wow," Ruby responded before she looked to the road straight ahead, seeing what she assumed their destination. She a large stone castle that looked like it stretched for a mile. The bus stopped in front of a wooden gate. A few seconds later, the gate began to rise. Upon gaining permission to enter, the bus continued into the castle before stopping again near the entrance to inside the building.

The group exited the bus with Jeanne exiting first. She stood in front of the door to enter, which was also guarded on the left and right side by two Golem-like monsters of clay. "On behalf of the school, I would like to welcome to Chaldea Academy." She then turned around as the gated door opened by itself.

 **AN: And that's the first chapter. With this series, many of the characters that are servants in Fate will either be other students or teachers, which I do like as a concept for this story. Jaune and Jeanne being brother and sister felt to me like a cool way to connect both series. The kingdom of Apocrypha is meant to be a somewhat European influence, with the namesake from the light novel series. Chaldea Academy is also taken from Grand Order. I wanted this academy to feel like a big castle, leaving me room to have so many things involved on the inside. The next chapter will explain this further, but this story kind of mixes the lore of both series. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter. The next couple of chapters will be uploaded soon. Then, I will finish one of my other stories before continuing this one.**

 **Edit: A quick addition to this note for new people to this story. There is a lot of cross series fighting in this fanfic. While it may seem one sided against RWBY characters for the beginning of the story, those characters will get stronger to match up against Fate powerhouses as they train, and the story evolves. It is this type of progression I want to show, please keep that in mind if you continue to read.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Class Card Registration

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one was fun to write and think about in concept. Essentially, this one has the RWBY cast assigned a class card like the servants have. Some were obvious, but others took a while to place. I'll clarify more of my reasoning in the second authors note. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 2 – Class Card Registration**

As the group followed Jeanne into the castle. Ruby walked next to Glynda while looking over to the black-haired woman, "Hey, who is that other team?" She whispered with the professor checking on her tablet devise.

"They are a team from Haven that took the same opportunity your team did. Based on their records and experience, they did not need a supervisor on the trip." Glynda said then squinted, focusing on the woman with black hair, "But that one does seem familiar."

"Here we are," Jeanne said, causing Glynda to break her focus and look towards their guild. The professor had a look of confusion upon seeing a man in a white and greenish-blue lab coat and light orange colored hair, "This is Doctor Romani Archaman, head of medical and admissions to our academy." She said with the man having a slight smile on his face.

"You can just call my Dr. Roman," He said as she walked over to a metal table. At the center of the table was an odd circular symbol across the table resembling that of one of Weiss' Glyphs. "I know it is getting late and you are all tired. So, I will just register you into the system for now."

"Registration?" Glynda inquired, "I made sure to send all the necessary information before our arrival."

"And I got it all, but this last step is something that can only be done in person." Dr. Roman said as he pulled out a tablet like that of the professor's, "Basically, we need to assign students and teachers who stay at our academy a Class Card."

"Class Cards? What are those?" Weiss commented before pointing to the symbol on the table, "What is that?"

"That is a circuit we use to identify which class a person best fits based on their current level of abilities, experiences, and information we gathered before your arrival." The doctor smiled as he looked over to the heiress, "Weiss Schnee, care to volunteer to be first?" he asked with everyone turning their gaze to the heiress. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Weiss sighed and walked over to the table on the opposite side from the doctor, "Just place your right hand a few inches over the circuit." Dr. Roman asked the heiress complying. As she waited for something to happen, the symbol began to glow a light blue. Suddenly, small orbs of light emerged from the circuit. They began to spin counter-clockwise to form a ring of light. The doctor signaled the heiress to remove her hand and back up. She complied again as the ring of light rose, splitting into three rings and their rotation speed increased. Suddenly, the rings collided and a large pillar of light reaching almost to the ceiling.

Weiss looked in awe as a pillar dissipated, revealing a large spinning card. The card slowly stopped, facing the heiress, revealing what looked like an ironclad knight with a red main. Slowly, the image of the knight faded an image of the heiress branding her rapier was seen. Weiss reached for the care, almost mesmerized by it. As she was only inches from grabbing it, Dr. Roman snatched the card out of the air, "Hey!" The heiress said as the doctor examined the opposite side of the card.

"Sorry, I just need to scan a copy for my records. Think of these like your student idea at while at this school," Dr. Roman said as he placed the card on his table, "It appears your part of Saber Class, one of the more powerful and skilled classes to be a part of."

"Well, of course, I would be a part of that class," Weiss said in a prideful manner, placing her right hand on her hip. The rest of her team to looked her confident smile in slight embarrassment.

"It is interesting how high your magical energy rank, that's uncommon among most of the saber class." Dr. Roman said as he gave the heiress her class card, "It might mean you would be stronger if classified as a Caster."

"Magical energy?" Weiss asked as she accepted the card.

"Oh, I forgot. The other kingdoms refer to them as something else. I believe it is called your semblance and aura back where you're from. Here, it called magical energy." Dr. Roman said as he walked back over to his side of the table, "One term for two concepts."

"But one's aura and semblance are two very different things," Pyrrha spoke up.

"We know, which is why we look at a multitude of statistical data when a Class Card is compiled. As well as skills and other parameters to help guide students in the right direction at this school." Dr. Roman said as he looked at the crowd of people, "Now, who's next?"

"I'll go!" Ruby said as she quickly got in front of the table, "I want to see what it says about me." The silver eyed girl said she placed her hand on the circuit. Dr. Roman nodded as the process repeated itself.

Ruby looked at the card from form the light. However, this card showed a man atop a chariot before the image changed to the silver eyed girl. In the image, she held her Crescent Rose while in the background of the shattered moon, "Looks like you are a part of the Rider Class."

"Uhhhh," Ruby said with a look of confusion, "But, I don't have my driver's license yet."

Dr. Roman looked to Ruby in slight shock while Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in the ignorance of her leader's assumptions, "It's not that type of Rider. Though your rank in that skill is only C at the moment. It's possible it is a skill you will get better at over time. Maybe something in you just needs to awaken for you to be a true Riding class." He then passed the silver eyed girl her class card, "For now, it seems your agility and your luck are exceptionally high."

"Wow, that thing can even measure luck." Ruby said as she took the card, "That's amazing."

"Okay, let me go next," Yang said as she walked over to the table. She cracked her knuckles before placing her hand on the circuit. Dr. Roman resumed his position before the prosses repeated its self.

As Yang waited in anticipation for the card to form, her smile faded upon seeing a lanky, beast-like man in the card, "What is that thing!?" She said aloud before the image faded, revealing an image of the girl surrounded by red flames, hitting her fist against each other with a slight grin on her face. Dr. Roman grabbed the class card, "It looks like you are considered a Berserker Class."

"Berserker?" Yang said with the smile returning to her face, "That sounds badass. What else does it say?"

"You appear to have high Strength and Endurance, but your luck is incredibly low." The doctor said as he walked over to pass the card to Yang, "Like most who have the Berserker class, the skill Mad Enhancement is often located, which you do have. However, it apparels your variation of the skill has a condition needed to be met to activate."

"I bet I already know what that is," Yang said as she accepted the card, she turned to the last member of her team to not be registered yet, "Blake, I think you're up now." She said with her Faunus friend closing her book and walking over to the table. As she placed her hand on the table, the process repeated.

Blake looked at the card forming from the light. This time, she saw what looked like a tall man wearing a skull mask, holding a short sword in each hand. The image faded to reveal the cat Faunus, holding her weapons in each hand, "You seem to be a part of the Assassin Class. They focus more on stealth than direct combat," Dr. Roman responded as he caned the card. However, as he looked over to Blake, he noticed she had a troubled expression on her face, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Blake responded in an uncertain voice. She took a breath before continuing, "I was just wondering, what is this kingdoms stance on Faunus rights?" She asked with the doctor having a puzzled look on his face. He wondered why the out of nowhere question now until he reexamined the card. Upon looking more closely, he noticed that the Blake in the image did not have on her bow on her head. Rather a pair of Faunus cat ears showed him what she really was.

"Oh, we have heard on the news about the White Fang movement and their plight for Faunus equality. Both from peaceful and violent approaches." He said as he walked over to pass the card to Blake, "However, Faunus and humans are on equal terms in this kingdom and at this school. The motto here is not what you are, it's what you want to become and the steps you take to do so." He said as he handed the cat Faunus the card. Blake had a slight smile return to her face as she accepted the card.

"Cool, let me go next," Jaune said as he volunteered. Dr. Roman returned to his side of the table as the process repeated itself. However, as the pillar of light formed. Jeanne and Pyrrha could overhear Jaune whispering to himself, "Please be saber, please be saber, please be a saber." He said to himself as the two looked at the pillar form the card. All three had a smile adorn their face as the image of a knight showed, "Yes, I'm in the Saber Class!" he said as he turned over to Weiss, "See that, you and I are a part of the same class. It must be fate or something." Jaune said as Dr. Roman grabbed the card.

"Well, both of you are in the same class. However, your stats are far lower than that of Weiss'. Almost everyone of yours is average or below." The doctor said as he scanned the card.

"Really!?" Jaune said in a disappointed voice, "Not one?"

"Well, your Charisma is Rank B. That's pretty good." Dr. Roman said as he passed Jaune his class card. The leader of Team JNPR walked back to the group, slouched in disappointment. Jeanne patted his right shoulder while Pyrrha patted his left slouched.

Ren walked over to the table and began his attempt to find what class he was. After the process repeated and pillar of light began to fade, he found a card that showed the same skull masked man that was on Blake's, "Another Assassin Class. How many total classes are there?" Ren asked.

"Generally, there are seven classes." Dr. Roman said as he quickly took the card and scanned it, "However, some exceptions have been founded." He said with a slight glance to Jeanne, causing everyone to look over at her in confusion.

"What class are you?" Ruby asked.

"Me? I'm a Ruler Class," Jeanne commented with everyone looking to her in astonishment, "It more of means I'm in charge of a few more things at this academy and have a few more administrative powers than most people do. It's what allowed me to get so many of you to come here without that much waiting time."

"That's amazing," Nora commented before looking over to Jaune, "Your sister is cool, why can't you be more like her."

"You're starting to sound like my father," Jaune said before he yawned, "I'm getting kind of tired and we still need to get through more than half of our group."

"Well, stand aside while I take my turn," Nora said as she walked over to the table as Ren got his class card. Once she repeated the process her friends went through, the card appeared and showed the same image that was on Yang's class card. The image then faded away, revealing Nora in mid-swing of holding her hammer.

"Cool, were both berserkers," Yang said as she walked over to Nora. Both smiled as they high fived each other. They then turned over to Pyrrha, "You're up next." She said as Nora was handed her class card.

Pyrrha walked over to the table to begin the process again. As the pillar of light showed the first image on the class card, the group noticed it was a class they had not seen yet. The image of a man in a red and white attire, holding a thin lance. The image faded revealing an image of Pyrrha in a fighting stance with her shield and spear.

"You seem to be a Lancer Class," Dr. Roman said as he took the card for the scan, However, he had a look of astonishment, "Amazing, your stats are high across the board. Almost everyone is A rank or higher. That's almost unheard of." He said as he passed the card over to the red-harried warrior.

"Thank you," Pyrrha said as she accepted the card. As she walked back to her group, the black-haired woman walked past her to the table. She looked at the woman for a second before turning back to her team.

"You're Cinder Fall, the leader of the team from Haven." Dr. Roman asked.

"Yes," The black haired-woman said with a slight smile before she placed her hand on the circuit, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Dr. Roman said before the process repeated itself. As the pillar of light started to reveal a class card, Cinder looked on as she saw the image of a person with a longbow and arrow aimed high, "Looks like you are an Archer class. And like the previous girl, your stats are incredible." He said as he scanned the card and passed it.

Cinder turned over to the gray-haired guy, who stood with his hands in his pockets, "Mercury, your turn." She ordered with the gray-haired man sighing as she got her card and walked away. The grey-haired guy walked over to the table, placing his hand on the circuit. The process repeated and the carded showed him an assassin class card, "That seems about right." Mercury said as Dr. Roman grabbed the card.

"Interesting, your strength stat in remarkably high considering your class." Dr. Roman said as he neared finishing his scan, "Also, you seem to have the Independent Action Skill, that is typically found in the Archer Class." He said before he finished scanning, but as he looked up, Mercury was walking back to the group, "Uhh, your Class Card?"

"Oh, I forgot," Mercury said but did not return to the table. Instead, he turned towards the mint hair colored girl, "Emerald, could be so kind as to pick up my card when you get yours?"

"You can't possibly be that lazy?" Emerald said with Mercury reply being a smug smile, "Fine, as long as you keep your mouth shut." She said with Mercury mining zipping his mouth. Emerald walked over to the table and began the process of finding out her class card. Like her teammate, she was a part of the Assassin Class. Roman looked over at the mint-color haired girl and knew she did not want to waste time. He quickly handed her the two Class cards. As she walked back to her team, she handed Mercury his Class Card. However, as he was in within a inches grasp of it, Emerald dropped the card, "Whoops, my bad." She said in an unconvincing, apologetic voice. Mercury gritted his teeth as he picked up his card off the ground.

Cinder looked over at the pint-sized girl, "Neo." She said with the girl walking over to the table and placing her hand on the circuit. The process repeated as the pillar of light revealed her class card matching that of the silver eyed girl, a Rider. As the initial image faded, it revealed Neo sitting down on a box, her legs crossed as she held an umbrella in her right hand,

As Dr. Roman grabbed the card, his eyes widened up looking at her skill set, "Unbelievable, your Riding Skill is Rank EX, that is the highest possible. Meaning, you can ride anything with ease." He said with Neo responding in silence, only having a slight smile on her face, "Also, you seem to have Mad Enhancement despite not being a berserker. And with the way your stats are distributed, one could mistake you for a Saber Class. It's almost like you are three classes in one." He then gave her the class card, with the multicolored haired girl slightly bowing as a response.

As Neo walked back to her team, Glynda walked over to the table, "You said I needed a Class card as well?" she asked.

"Yes, and your email also mentioned your interest in teaching while during your stay here. So, you need one as well. It's just protocol here." Dr. Roman said with the professor nodding before placing her hand on the circuit. The process repeated for the last time as the pillar of light revealed the last class the group had not seen yet. The image showed an old man in a purple robe. A book in his right hand and a wooden staff in his left hand. the image soon faded to revel Glynda adjusting her glasses.

Glynda looked at Dr. Roman grab the card, "I assume that's the Caster Class you mentioned earlier. By its name, it has been reserved for individuals of high magical energy but low in strength and endurance." The professor said as she saw the doctor scan the card.

"Very astute," Dr. Roman said, "Your card mentions that you are also adept at Territory Creation. That is a very advanced skill to have mastery of."

"My specialty is more identified as territory recreation if I am honest with myself." She said as she accepted the card, "Now that everyone has finished in this registration, can you lead us to where we will be going next."

"Actually, I can help with that." Jeanne said as she emerged from the group, "The cafeteria is normally closed now, but I convinced them to stay open so that you all can get something to eat before going to your roommate."

"Roommate?" Ruby commented.

"Yes, all of you will have an individual roommate that is an already attending student at this academy." Jeanne said before looking over to the professor, "Expect for you, the teachers have sleeping arguments tailored for individuals."

"That seems fine. I agree that it would be a welcome change of pace for many of us." Glynda said as she looked over the crowd of students.

"Great, we will split up after everyone is done eating. I have a list of who was assigned to what room." Jeanne said as she began to lead the way to the cafeteria, however, she stopped herself upon recalling something, "Also, those class cards will function as your key to the room. Another reason not to lose them." She said before resuming her lead of the group.

 **AN: There you go, that is the Class Card registration. Like I said, most characters are kind of easy to place a class for, (Glynda as a caster, Blake, Ren, and Emerald as assassins, and Nora as berserker). Weiss was a debate for saber or caster, but I chose saber because that fits her personality a bit more, (this will also be a point of her character I want to explore more in this story). Ruby was considered for archer or lancer, but I went with a rider because that fits more of her combat style and what I have in mind for explaining her silver eyes power in this story. Yang was either going to be a rider or a berserker, but I think that the ladder is better for her personality. Jaune as saber was obvious, but the making his stats very low was added to prove a point about his weak fighting ability. This also contrasts to Pyrrha, who makes sense as a lancer with high stats. Mercury as an assassin fits more than as a berserker, but I had to make a note that he has more strength than a normal assassin would have. Cinder could also fit an assassin, but I didn't want that team to be entirely assassins and knew she fits as an archer as well. As for Neo, I had a lot of fun picking her. Since driving seemed to be something Cinder notes about her, I made her a rider with the highest possible riding skill. To explain her mute nature, I say it is an effect of her having mad enhancement. And because her weapon is also a sword, I say that she has a stat distribution like to what you see in a saber, (So I say in this that she could be three different classes; rider, berserker, and saber). The class system is a bit different in this story, but I hope to expand upon it for implantations in this school. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**

 **Edit: So, I made a Servant Sheet for these character in a later chapter. You can skip to it if you want to view how I how I applied it to the character. Note, they are just my opinions and observations made for a fun data sheet, (Something I wish rwby would do, but they never will). Please, do not make any comments about stats not matching the characters potential, they are meant to represent their current level of ability with room to grow. Especially Jaune, I have already been made aware of the way I interpreted his character and how it is a lot weaker than it should be. However, this is still my story and the stats were done for fun and not to be the focus of reviews. I am sorry for ranting, but the amount of reviews I have gotten based around him alone are …. stressful. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Roommates

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is where I introduce a few more of the Fate series cast. This has me using characters from all series because I couldn't pick just one to focus on. I do like the character interactions I have made here, they are one of the more enjoyable things to write. Also, I am trying a new writing thing. When a name in italics is seen, it means that is the character that scene is primarily following. I wanted to do this rather than saying meanwhile as a transition. It makes it a little easier for the reader. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 3 – Roommates**

 _Ruby._

After dinner, the group split up to head to their rooms. Ruby made her way down a long hallway, her suitcase dragged behind her. "Let's see, I think she said it was this floor." The silver eyed girl said to herself before she stopped at one door. She noticed the door handed had no keyhole, nor was she ever given a key. "Hmmm," Ruby said before she noticed a palm-sized symbol above the knob. The symbol was similar in design to the circuit on the table from before.

Ruby took out her Class Card, pointing the image of herself on the card towards the circuit, causing the symbol on the door to change to a light green color. She then heard an unlocking sound, "Wow, these cards actually do work as a key." She said as she looked back at the image of herself on the card, "Although, how did it make that image of me?" She said before shrugging and putting the Class Card away.

She entered the room but was taken a gasp by the amount of open space. The room was nearly twice as big as her living arrangements at Beacon. There were two twin sized beds room, one on the right side and one on the left side of the room. On the opposite wall of the door was a window overlooking the kingdom, Ruby also noticed a thin sword in a white sheath resting next to the bed on the left, "I guess that's my roommate's." Ruby said as she had another question come to her, "Wait, Jeanne never said anything about our roommates. Only where to find our rooms." Ruby said as she placed her suitcase on the right-side bed, "Come to think of it, where is my roommate." She said as she looked around the room, not seeing another soul in sight.

Ruby noticed a closet door on the left side, "I don't even know if it's a guy or girl." She said before she walked over to and opened the closet door. Inside was a large quantity of brightly colored cloths; jackets, long sleeves, and even a few short skirts. On the far end was a cape, white on the outside and red on the inside. On the bottom of the closet were numerous pairs of shoes, "Wow, she even has more than Weiss does in her closet."

Ruby then turned around, seeing another door inside the room, "What's in there," She thought as she walked over to the door. There was no symbol over the nob, as she started to open it, "I guess this must be the bath-" Ruby said as she opened the door fully. However, she stopped herself in mid-sentence upon discovering her roommate, a white towel around his waist as his skin was still slightly damp. His long hair was a light pink, while a few locks over her left eye were white. He was standing in front of the mirror, brushing his teeth.

The man turned towards with a big smile, taking the toothbrush out of his mouth, "Hello, you must be Ruby." He said in a cheerful voice, but Ruby remained paralyzed as her face started to turn red, "I love your cape."

"You…. You're…" Ruby stuttered as she still could not move, her face still red.

"Oh, sorry. I worked up a sweat today in training and wanted to clean up before meeting you," he said before scratching the back of his head, a slight giggle in his voice, "But I guess I lost track of time."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Ruby said as she backed up, "I should have knocked first, or looked for a light shining through the doorways, of listened for running water, or-" Ruby fanatically said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume you were a …"

"A boy?" Ruby's roommate said with a smile as he put the toothbrush down, "I thought Beacon was a coed Academy. Boys and girls could stay in the same room."

"Yeah, but…" Ruby said as her face was still red. she tried to avoid eye contact, opting to look up at the ceiling, "My team was all girls, including my sister. I never stayed in a room with a boy…"

"Well then," The man in the towel said as he walked over to Ruby. The silver eyed girl looked down to see him a few inches from her face, causing her face to become even redder, "This is the perfect place to start, you did want to come here to try new things. You'll already have one under your belt before the first night."

"I…I..." Ruby struggled to speak.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," The man in the towel said before he places his right hand on his chest, "I'm Astolfo." He said before walking over to the closet on the other side of the room. Ruby watched as he walked by his bed, tossing off his towel a throwing it on his bed, "I just need to change into my pajamas. Then, you and I can talk about whatever you want." Suddenly, Astolfo heard a loud thud behind him. He turned to see Ruby flat on her back, passed out, but her face was still red, "Huh, I guess she was really tired from her trip." Astolfo thought before he quickly put on his pajamas. He picked up the silver eyed girl and placed her on the right-side bed, her head on the pillow, "Sleep tight." He said with a smile before going to turn off the lights.

 _Yang._

Yang walked through the halls as she looked for her room. She stopped upon what she assumed to be the right door, "Well, that didn't take long." As she was about to try and open the door, a voice called out to her.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" The voice was somewhat muffled and hard to identify. Yang to turned to see a someone in steel armor walking towards her. The armor was light grey and red, with the helmet having what looked like bullhorns.

"Oh hey," Yang greeted, "I'm one of the students from Beacon and I think this is my room."

"Well, it's also mine," The armored knight said, "So I'll ask you, are you, my roommate?"

Yang looked down at the symbol above door knob. She placed her class card over the symbol, causing it to react and turn green, unlocking. Yang turned back to the armored knight, "I guess that's a yes." She then extended her right hand, "I'm Yang," she said with the armored knight looking down at her hand.

Suddenly, the pieces of the helmet separated, ejected out and reformed on the chest piece and shoulders. The face was that of a woman with green irises and blond hair tied in a ponytail, "I am Mordred." She said as she shook Yang's hand with a firm grip.

"Mordred, eh." Yang said with a slight smile came on her face, "I guess you're better than Lessdred." Her commented caused Mordred to loosen her grip on wearying from that pun.

"Do you do that often?" Mordred asked.

"On occasion, when the opportunity arises," Yang said with a smile as she picked up her suitcase, "You'll get used to it." Mordred sighed before the two entered their room, the door closing behind them.

 _Mercury._

The two members of Cinder's faction walked through the halls in search of their rooms. The grey-haired guy stopped first in front of a lone door, "Looks like I found mine."

"Good," Emerald said in a callous voice as she continued to walk, "If there is one thing I am happy with about this trip, it's that I don't have to share a room with you."

"Aww, I know you'll miss me." Mercury said in a sarcastic voice, but with a smile was on his face, "Don't worry, you'll still see me plenty in the morning." He then had a slight chuckle in his voice before he took out his class card, "Who knows, you might get a roommate who looks just like me. After all, your card said you didn't have that much luck, did it?"

"If that happens, I think I'll have a heart attack." Emerald said as she continued walking, "But I saw your card and it said you luck was lower." As she turned a corner, she stopped looked back at Mercury, "Maybe you'll get a roommate who is an even bigger pain in the ass than you are."

"Not likely," He responded but was answered with Emerald sticker her tongue out in irritation before walking away. Mercury looked at the door symbol above the doorknob. He placed his Class Card over the symbol, causing the circuit to glow green. He placed the card back in his pocket before grabbing the handle.

Suddenly, Mercury heard a voice call from inside the room just as he had the door in a jar, "It is rude to not ask for permission before entering the domicile of a king." The voice sounded male, with an arrogance and condescension in the tone that could not be rivaled by anyone.

"Yikes," Mercury thought as he stopped himself, "Looks like I got a real nut for a roommate." He then took a breath before opening the door a little further, "Listen to me bud, I don't need permission to enter my room." He said as he was about to step into the room with his right foot.

Just as Mercury's boot touched the hardwood floor for a second, a yellow flash appeared in the corner of his eye. Suddenly, Mercury saw his right leg was obliterated into pieces. A look of horror fell upon the grey-haired man face as he hobbled on one leg before falling back on the wall behind him. His breathing was sporadic and his body trembling as he looked at the door move.

The door swayed more open, revealing a man sitting on a small couch at the end of the room. His hair was blond and his eyes were closed. He wore a cotton shirt and pants that looked to be made of snakeskin. In his right hand was a glass of vine, which he sipped before speaking. He opened his eyes, his red, serpent-like eyes glared at Mercury. "Mongrel," He said as he looked to Mercury with a seething rage, yet his composer remained lax, "How dare you disrespect The King of Heroes!"

"But, my aura…" Mercury said to himself before looking to his attacker, "You blew off my right leg!"

"You are lucky your right leg was a prosthetic," The King of Heroes responded, "If your blood had stained my floor, I would kill you for the irritation spawned from me having to find new residents in the Academy!"

"You're insane!" Mercury yelled back. The King of Heroes glared at Mercury for a second before he slightly raised his left hand. Suddenly, a glowing yellow vortex appeared near his head. Outshot a sword a like a high-velocity round from a sniper rifle. The bladed collide with Mercury's left leg, reducing it to scrap metal before Mercury's eyes.

"You are the insane one to think that disrespecting me twice would yield a different response." The King of Heroes said before he sipped from his glass of the wine, he continued after finishing, a sinister smile came upon his face, "But your luck seems to have favored you again, Mongrel."

"Why," Mercury said as his back was against the wall, "I unlocked the door, meaning this was the room I'm staying in this break."

"I would never allow a filthy mongrel such as yourself to share a room with me. Your error lies with that assuming nature of taking what you think you already own," The King of Heroes said before finishing off his glass of vine, "Only I can have that pleasure of life, for I own all the treasures of the world."

"But-" Mercury said but cut himself off after the King of Heroes slightly raised his left hand. Around his head formed three more yellow vortexes, providing a backlight to his blond hair.

"Tell me Mongrel, are any more of your limbs prosthetic; your right arm, your left arm, or perhaps even your head?" He said with Mercury shaking his head, "Unless you wish to change that, I suggest you crawl away to the medical lab two floors above from here. They should be able to fix you. Physically, that is." The King of Heroes said as he took a step back into his, the vortexes shrunk and vanished. Mercury had a slight whimper in his voice as he turned away, using his hands to move as far away as possible form the room he once tried to enter.

The King of Heroes had a slight smile on his face as he saw Mercury crawl away. He closed the door as he returned to couch. He sighed before reaching for a wine bottle, looking to refill his drink. Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from a device on his left. It came from a small tablet on the armrest of the couch. He pressed the answer button before relaxing in his seat. A holographic image of Dr. Roman appeared over the tablet, "Hey Gilgamesh, sorry this is late but I forget to inform you that a student from another school will be staying in your room." The doctor's image was then swapped with that of the grey-haired guy, "His name is Mercury Black, he should stop by any minute." After looking at the image, Gilgamesh started to chuckle slightly, then his laughs became louder and his smile more jubilant, "You okay, did he already stop by?"

"He did, but a misunderstanding occurred that lead to his prosthetic limbs needing repairs," Gilgamesh said as he wiped a tear from his face, "If you see him, tell him he can return to stay at this room with me." The King of Heroes then reached for the wine bottle, pouring himself another drink, "I will have a drink ready for his return. And in turn, I think he will be able to provide me with more entertainment."

"Yikes Gilgamesh," Dr. Roman said, "You really make my job difficult at times."

 _Emerald._

"That guy really makes me mad," Emerald whispered to herself as she walked through the halls, "Just who does he think he is." She finally stopped in front of what she assumed to be her room, "I really hope I don't have to deal with him for too much on this trip, but it is Cinder's call in the end," She took out her Class Card and placed it over the circuit, causing the symbol to glow green. She opened the door and walked in without looking, but in doing so bumped into someone, "Hey!" She said angrily as she looked up at the person. However, her eyes widened as she began to blush.

Emerald looked up at a man with disheveled orange hair that covered his right eye. He wore a green vest-like outfit with a high collar. He had a dark green and around almost his entire right arm. His pants and boots were also dark green, "Oh, my apologies. You must be the roommate I was told about." He said with a charming smile, "I'm Robin, nice to meet you. Would you like to come in?"

"Yeah," Emerald said in a smitten voice as she smiled at her roommate. She walked into the room with the door closing behind her.

 _Pyrrha._

The two Ark siblings walked with the red-haired warrior right behind them, "Your room is actually across to mine, Pyrrha," Jeanne said with Jaune busy holding all the luggage, "Your roommate is very nice. I think you two will get along."

"That's good to hear," Pyrrha said before she noticed her team leader struggle with all the bags, "Jaune, are you okay? Do you need a hand?"

"I'm good," Jaune replied very quickly. Joan stopped in front of a door, causing Jaune to drop the luggage on the floor. He was wincing as his sister opened the door, "Does your room have to be so far from the ground level?"

"It gives me some exercise before classes," Jeanne said as she picked up one of her brother's suitcases, "When I requested you as my roommate, I hoped to help you improve as much as possible while you stayed here."

"Well, I think I just want to rest now," Jaune said as he entered the room looking back to his teammate, "Goodnight Pyrrha."

"Goodnight Jaune. And to you as well Jeanne." Pyrrha said as she grabbed her suitcase from the pile. Joan gave a slight smile as her response before she pulled the rest of the luggage into her room. The female Ark closed the door as Pyrrha looked to the door across. The red-haired warrior took a deep breath before walking over to the door. After she exhaled, she knocked on the door. She waited a few seconds, and the door slightly opened.

Pyrrha pushed the door more open expecting to see someone at the other end, "Fou!" She heard a voice call from near her feet. Upon looking down, she saw what looked like a tiny white dog with decorative fabric collar. The fur was extra fluffy around the back of its head and tail. Its ears were long and tipped with a purple color, "Fou, Fou!"

"Fou?" Pyrrha repeated in confusion.

"Fou!" The small animal called back. Pyrrha opened the door more. She noticed a desk by the window with a person at the chair. However, the person did not appear awake.

Pyrrha quietly walked over to see the person. Upon closer inspection, the person had light pink hair and a light grey jacket on. Her head rested in her arms atop a keypad. Pyrrha looked at the screen, seeing a white document with the 'a' key pressed and filling outing the page. In the corner of the document, she saw a name that read, Mash Kyrielite. The small animal jumped on the desk, "Hello, um, Mash?" Pyrrha said as she tapped the right shoulder of the girl.

"Wha!?" The girl said as she suddenly woke up, slightly jumping out of her chair. Pyrrha backed up in slight shock, while the small animal remained unfazed. The red-haired warrior noticed a pair of glasses on sloppy on the girl's face. "Did someone say my name?" the girl said before she adjusted her glasses. She looked up at Pyrrha with her purple eyes, but a tuff of hair covered her right eye, "Oh, uh hello?" Mashu said in confusion.

"Hi, my name is Pyrrha Nikos." The red-haired warrior responded, "I believe I'm your roommate, the one from Beacon Academy."

"Yes, it's good to see you." Mash said with a smile, "I'm sorry, I forgot that you were coming in late today and had a paper I needed to finish." The pink haired girl said as she turned to the laptop, sighing in disappointment as she started to clear up her paper, "I was hoping to stay up to see you and finish my paper at the same time, but it didn't work out that well."

"Fou!" The little animal called out, causing Mash to turn and pet it.

"Well, I like your dog… or squirrel?" Pyrrha responded with uncertainty, "I think he was the one that let me in…somehow." She said wondering how the

"This is Fou." Mash responded while she was still petting, "He does that sometimes."

"Fou!" The tiny dog responded in a cutesy voice. Mash stopped petting as Pyrrha reached out her left hand. the small creature accepted her hand as Pyrrha petted behind his ears, "Fou!" Fou responded with a slight smile, causing Pyrrha to smile also.

"Well, I'm glad you got here okay," Mash said before she started typing again, "I still have to finish this paper before I can go to sleep."

"Maybe I can help," Pyrrha said as she stopped petting Fou, causing the tiny dog to jump off the desk and go over to the right-side bed. "What's the topic?"

"Explaining the concept of polarity. As well as applications of the idea to be used as a form of combat." Mash replied, "Do you know anything about that?"

Pyrrha smiled as she looked at her roommate, "I think I know a thing or two." Mash smiled back as the two began working on the paper, Fou yawned as he curled up into a ball on the right-side bed.

 _Cinder._

Cinder reached her assigned room. She used her class card to open the door. Upon entering she noticed a man with dark skin and silver hair sitting on a couch on the opposite end of the room. While relaxed on the couch, he opened his eyes slowly. A slight smile appeared on his face, Cinder responded in kind, "So, we meet at last." She said as she walked over to the right-side bed, placing her suitcase on the covers, "To be honest, I did not assume someone of your age to be a student."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you." He said with his smile growing slightly bigger as the black-haired woman opened her suitcase, "You're Cinder Fall, the leader of a team from Haven Academy." He said before standing up, "However, I don't believe that is entirely all you are."

"You know a lot about me, but you haven't said your name yet." Cinder said as she turned to the silver-haired man, placing her right hand on her hip.

"My name is Archer," He responded, "That's also my class, in case you were confused."

Cinder had a single laugh before she responded, "I only believe half of what you just said is the truth," She moved her right hand to her chin, looking at him for a second before responding, "I know your name is Shirou Emiya, a genius at tracing weapons."

"And your point?" Archer said as he was a couple of feet from the black-haired woman. Suddenly, Cinder quickly extended her right hand. Her red dress glowed with an orangish light as partials of dust gathered in her right hand, forming a short sword. She lunged the blade towards his's head. Without filching, Archer created a black short blade in his left hand. He blocked the assault and locking the two blades into a stalemate, "Are you satisfied?" He asked as Cinder had her smile grow slightly larger. Again, dust particles formed and gathered, this time around her left hand. She attempted a stab him in the abdomen, but Archer created a white short sword in his right. He blocked the second attack, returning them to a stalemate.

Cinder started to laugh at Archer having a look of confusion, "So, it is true." She said as she took a step back, "You don't use dust. You seem to create the weapons out of nowhere." Cinder loosened her grip on the short sword, causing them to disintegrate and form back into dust. The dust recollected on her red dress, the orangish tint vanished, "It could be a consternation of aura. But, I think it is it something else."

"If it was, why would I tell someone who could attack me unexpectedly," Archer said as the two short swords vanished in his hands. He crossed his arms as the smile on his face turn to a look of slight anger. Cinder then walked over to him, staring intently into his silver eyes.

"You don't have to tell me, I already know." She said with a smile, "I assume you know of the legend of the silver eyes. Those with the abilities to alter time, space, and even reality itself."

"Just because I have silver eyes does not mean that legend is true," Archer responded.

"You know, I can tell a lot about a person from the look in their eyes, what they see and have seen." Cinder said as she looked at his eyes, "I can tell when someone is blissfully ignorant or hiding something."

"Good for you," Archer said as he looked down at Cinder. She had the slight chuckle, "Now, I'm losing my patience. What is it you are after? My eyes?"

"If I wanted those, I could find an easier target than you to steal them from," Cinder responded, "I want you to teach me that skill you have from your eyes."

"I think there might be a slight problem with your idea." Archer said as he looked at her amber right eye with a slight glow, while the other was covered by her black hair, "Unless you have heterochromia, you are out of luck."

Cinder smiled as she glanced over at her open suitcase. As archer followed her gaze she noticed a photo. The photo was of a boy in his teens with red disheveled hair and amber eyes, "That's you from a few years ago. There, your eyes are the same as mine." She then turned back to Archer, "You see, I have been researching you for a while now."

"I'm flattered," Archer said in a sarcastic voice, "But I'm not teaching you a thing." He then turned away as the smile faded from Cinder's face, changing to a frown.

"Do not underestimate me!" Cinder said with rage in her voice, "I want that power you have."

"Why?" Archer said as he sat back down on the couch, "No offense, but don't see you as the type to use power for the good of the world. So, why do you want it?"

Cinder clenched her fists before taking a deep breath, she exhaled and unclenched her fists, "I want it because it is the power I can have. If it is something that I can attain, I will do whatever I can to attain it," The smile returned to her face, this time with a sadistic undertone, "No matter the length of time or requirements to obtain, I will gain the power I desire."

Archer looked at Cinder for a second. Slowly, he began to chuckle. His laughter grew louder before quickly calming down, "That is an incredibly selfish and stubborn reason." He said with Cinder crossing her arms. Archer stood up from his seat with a smile on his face, "I can relate to that feeling. And I suppose it would make it very awkward for the rest of your stay if I denied your request." Cinder smiled back as the two looked at each other in interest in the other, "I will teach you if you can learn it."

"I will," Cinder responded, "So, what do you call your little trick?" She asked Archer giving a slight smile and single laugh.

 **AN: There you go, I know I don't show everyone meeting their roommates. Note, just because the characters are roommates does not mean they are going to get romantically involved. It will apply to some but not everyone. These are the ones I wanted to focus on for this type of introduction. I plan to revel most of the others in the coming chapters, these are the ones I wanted to show the RWBY cast reacting to. I knew going in I wanted to room Astolfo with Ruby, both interacting just makes me giggle. With Yang and Mordred, I feel they work well together. I felt that pun just wrote itself. Writing Gilgamesh is so fun, I love having a character who is so powerful and prideful of who he is. Emerald and Robin Hood, I wanted to make her character a little more multidimensional. Giving Emerald a little crush is something new I can try with that character. Pyrrha and Mash both serve the same character role in their respective series, so seeing them interact is something I like to play around with. Cinder and Archer are a cool pair and I was happy with how their interaction turned out at the end of this chapter. (I know it's Shirou, but I like to keep him as Archer when referring to him). Next chapter won't be for a little while, but I am enjoying this writing this story. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Other Roommates

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter. Thank you all so much for checking out the story and showing your interest in it. I know I said I would finish another story before returning to this one, but I wanted to give one more chapter. Because of all the awesome feedback and advice, I wanted to do another chapter about who the other characters have as roommates. As well as set up some of the rivals and personal relationships I want to have in this story. Again, thank you all for the support on this story so far, I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 4 – The Other Roommates**

 _Ruby_

In the early morning, Ruby and Astolfo walked through the large courtyard of Chaldea Academy. The svelte paladin wore a purple hoodie and a stripped undershirt that showed off his midriff. The courtyard contained a few other students wondering, while some sat at the tables to have an early breakfast. The hedges were trimmed, the grass cut and a few trees grew around the area baring fruit, "They really do keep this place tidy," Ruby said as she looked over to Astolfo. The svelte paladin wore a purple hoodie and a stripped undershirt that showed off his midriff. He also had on a black mini skirt and stalking that covered his entire legs, "So, they don't have a school uniform here?" Ruby asked as she followed him.

"Nope, they let you wear what you want here. Within reason." Astolfo responded before looking back at the silver eyed girl, "If you want, we can go into the city and find you some more clothes. I know a few stores that sell some cute outfits." He said with a smile and wink at the end of his sentence. Ruby's face started to blush as tried to avoid eye contact.

In looking away, she found her heiress teammate sitting at a table, chatting with someone as she had a cup of tea in her left hand, "Weiss!" Ruby called as she walked over to her teammate. As she got closer, Ruby saw who Weiss was talking to. It was an elegant girl in a sleeveless red dress with a miniskirt. Her hair was as white as Weiss but was tied into two ponytails on each side of her head. The part of her attire that left Ruby confused was atop her head. To the silver eyed girl, it looked like a big red pincushion. She wondered how the girl could balance the thing on her head.

"Good morning Ruby," Weiss said after putting down her teacup. She gestured to introduce the girl she was sitting across, "I was chatting with my roommate."

"It's a pleasure to meet," The idol queen said as she stood up, offering her right hand to Ruby, "I am Maria Antoinette."

"Ditto," Ruby said as she shook hands, starring at Maria's headdress, "I mean, the 'it's a pleasure to meet you' ditto and not the 'my name is Maria Antoinette' ditto. Because my name is not your name, it's Ruby Rose. I like your hat." She said frantically as she looked back at the idol queen. Weiss sighed as she placed her right hand on her face.

"Thank you," Maria said with a sweet smile on her face, "Weiss has told me a lot about you."

"Hey Maria," Astolfo said as he walked over to the small group, "You got one also."

"Astolfo!" Maria said as she hugged the svelte paladin, "You look radiate as always."

While the two talked, Ruby walked over to Weiss, "Hey, have you seen the others yet?" The silver eyed girl asked.

"Yang and her roommate got here before we did. They went to the food court to get breakfast for our teams." Weiss said before she pointed over to a nearby tree, "Blake and her roommate didn't want to wait, so they decided to get something nearby."

Ruby turned to the tree Weiss was pointing at, quickly finding her cay Faunus teammate. However, she noticed something different about her, "Blake isn't wearing her bow anymore."

"Yeah," Weiss said with a smile on her face, "She said she wanted a fresh start here. Didn't want to hide who she was."

"That's good," Ruby said as continued to look for another person next to Blake, "I don't see her roommate." Suddenly, the silver eye girl saw a rustling in the leaves above. Blake took a step back as a girl jumped down from the tree. She had on a dark green and black dress with dark gloves covering her hands. Her long hair was a mix of a dirty blond and light green color. However, the last foot of her hair was a light blond, almost white. She had two large ears and a long tail, both resembling that of a lion. In she held two red apples, one in each hand, offering one to Blake, "She has more than one Faunus trait." Ruby said before she turned back to Weiss.

"She said that is a little more common with Faunus in this kingdom." Weiss responded, "Her name is Atalanta and please don't stare at her ears." The heiress said before sipping her tea.

Blake and Atalanta walked over to the group, the lioness Faunus biting into her apple, "Good morning Ruby." Blake said with a smile, "This is my roommate, Atalanta."

"It's nice to meet you." Ruby said as she looked at Atalanta bite into the red fruit again, "You must really like apples."

Atalanta chewed for a bit before swallowing, she looked down at the apple, "They are a rather tempting fruit." She said before biting into it again.

"Okay…is it your favorite fruit?" Ruby asked Blake walked away to sit next to Weiss.

Atalanta swallowed before answering, "I suppose it is. Apples often fall from trees due to their own weight and weak stem. Making them easy to find for a snake."

"Yeah, but why would you eat it if it was on the ground?" Ruby asked as the lioness Faunus was about to bit into the apple again. However, she stopped in mid-bite to glare at the silver eyed girl.

"Why would you waste perfectly good food?" Atalanta said as Ruby backed up in slight fear, "You never know when you will find an easier source of nutrition."

"I guess, but…I mean…ants?" Ruby said as she felt Atalanta starting daggers at her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you in any way." The silver eyed girl said with the lioness Faunus biting into her apple and walking away towards the others. Ruby sighed before noticing something in the corner of her eye.

She turned to see Yang walking over with a large pot of coffee, "Yang!" Ruby said as she ran over to her sister. However, the blond girl had a look of panic as she tried to signal her little sister to slow down. As Ruby ran, she did not see the large root from a nearby tree in the ground. Her right foot caught the root, causing her to trip. As she fell, Yang sidestepped out of the way but forgot she wasn't alone. Behind the blond girl was Mordred, who was carrying a tray full of cups, a teapot, sugar, toast, cream, and jam. Ruby crashed into Mordred, causing all the contents of the tray to fall.

"Ouch," Ruby said as place her right hand on her aching head. Once she looked at who she crashed into, she was taken with a slight gasp. All the contents of the tray had fallen onto Mordred, who was not wearing her armor from before. The prideful knight had on a white tube top and a red leather jacket. She also had on cuts of jeans and black leather boots. Mordred had a look of annoyance as her clothes were stained with the many breakfast items, "Sorry." Ruby said as she stood up.

"Watch where you're going!" Mordred said as a piece of toast was stuck in her hair, "These were my best clothes."

"I'm so sorry," Ruby said again with trepidation as Mordred glared at her, seeing that the silver eyed girl did not have anything from the tray on her body.

"Calm down everyone," Yang said as she got her little sister and her roommate, turning to the prideful knight, "Look, just go back to our room. Take a shower and change. Then, come back here and we'll save you a piece of toast." Yang said as she took the piece of toast out of Mordred's hair, "You said we have a lot of time before our first class, so it should be no problem."

Mordred glared back at Yang for a second before sighing, "Fine." The prideful knight said before she started to walk away from the two sisters. However, she glanced back at Ruby, giving her a scornful look.

"I'm sorry Yang," Ruby said as she picked up the tray, "I didn't mean to do that."

"I know you didn't." Yang said as she patted her sister on the back, "Come on, help me get another tray. Then, I'll help you clean up this mess. That will make everyone happy."

The two sisters started to walk away from the courtyard. Ruby looked back to the table her teammate and their roommates sat. all were chatting with one another, except Atalanta. The lioness Faunus was glaring at the silver eyed girl. She bit into her apple once again as Ruby quickly turned away in fear, "I don't think this whole new school thing was a good idea."

"Ruby, this was your idea." Yang said with a slight giggle in her voice, "Besides, it hasn't even been a full day yet. Give it time and I'm sure you'll make friends here like you did at Beacon."

Ruby sighed as she followed her sister, "I guess," She said before she looked to the sky, "I wonder how the others are doing."

 _Nora._

Jeanne, Pyrrha, and Mash were running along outside of the Academy walls. Each wore a tracksuit: the female Arc's was a dark blue, Pyrrha's matched her hair, and Mash's matched her eyes with Fou riding on her right shoulder, "I didn't know you did this at your Academy also." Jeanne said to Pyrrha.

"We started it a couple days after enrolling." The red-haired warrior replied, "It's good to get the heart running before classes start."

"I agree," Mash said as she caught up with the two others, "It gets the brain prepared and keeps the body fit."

"Fou!" Fou said as he looked at the three girls. Trailing behind the three was a Jaune, whose tracksuit was white with a light blue trim.

"Jaune seems to be struggling a bit." Pyrrha commented as she looked back, "I guess this academy has a bigger perimeter than Beacon does."

"Can you three give me a second!" He called out to the girls, but he was too far back for them to hear him. The male Arc wheezed as he started to slow down, "Why couldn't we use the track here. Oh right, because Nora said it was too small." Jaune looked into the distance to see a table near the entrance, "There's the finish line. At least, I won't be last."

Suddenly, Jaune heard a rumbling behind him. He turned to see Nora in a pink and white tracksuit charging right behind him. The pink headband enhanced her look of determination. She brushed past her team leader, leaving Jaune spinning form the near collision.

After a few seconds, Jaune rebalances himself. As he was about to resume running, but he heard a similar rambling behind him. He turned to see a woman in a white dress and black veil as if she was just coming from a wedding. Her hair was light red with bangs covering her eyes. However, he could slight make out that the two were different colors: the right was a light green while the left was a light blue. Adorning her head was also a large golden horn on her forehead and a gigantic bolt on each side of her head. She carried a large container of water over her right shoulder and a bag of plastic cups in the other hand. Jaune had a look of fear as he tried to outrun the persuader, but it was too late. He was trampled by the woman in a wedding dress, realizing that she was running at that speed in heels. Jaune groaned while he laid on the ground, taking this moment to rest for a bit.

Further down the lane, Nora passed the three girls. She approached a white table at the end near an entrance to the Academy. She placed her hands on the table with a smile on her face, "First!" She called out in victory right before the three girls caught up.

"Nora, this wasn't a race." Pyrrha said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, "This was just a jog before the classes start."

"But I still won," Nora replied with a smile as Pyrrha had a look of annoyance. The woman in a wedding dress caught up to group placing the container of water on the table and cups on the table, "Thanks, Fran."

"Frankenstein, you didn't have to carry that," Jeanne said as she walked over to the water container, "You could have just left them on the table."

"Uu." Frankenstein said before she pointed over to the male Ark on the ground, "U…A…"

"Jaune will be fine," Nora said as she poured herself a cup of water. After she drank it in one gulp, she continued talking, "He just needs a minute to gain back some stamina."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha said as she looked at her leader not moving while on the ground, "Maybe I should help him out."

"Aa." The woman in a wedding dress said as she turned to the orange haired girl.

"Yeah, since he was last, he needs to carry the water next time." Nora said as she poured another cup, "How else is he going to get faster if he doesn't train like that."

"Well, Jaune is full of determination to get better." Jeanne as she saw her bother to try to push himself up but fell back onto the ground. The female Arc smiled as she turned to Pyrrha, "He told me you have been training since you two started at Beacon. Is that true?"

"Yes," Pyrrha said as she walked over to get a cup of water, "He was having a tough start, so I thought it would be best to help him out." She then got out of the way to let Mash get a cup, "Your brother is a nice guy, he just needs a little improvement in a few areas."

"I know," Jeanne said as she had a look of joy on her face, "I'm glad he has you on his team." Pyrrha smiled back as Frankenstein poured herself a cup.

"Well, I'm glad I have a fellow berserker as roommate here." Nora said as she patted the woman in a wedding dress on the back, causing Frankenstein to spill a bit of her water on the ground, "Still, I have to buy you a cute tracksuit if we are going to do these jogs every day."

"Aa," Frankenstein said with a smile as she nodded. Suddenly, her expression changed to confusion, "Uu?"

"Our other teammate? You mean Ren, he was supposed to be here." Nora said as she filled another cup of water, "But he texted us saying he would be late."

"I actually know his roommate." Mash interjected as she held her cup so that Fou could drink the water, "She might be giving him a tour of the kingdom now."

At that moment, Nora crushed her cup in the palm of her right hand. However, her face was in a state catatonic smiling, "She? His is roommate is a girl?"

"Yeah," Mash said in slight fear as Nora's face didn't change expression, "She is a very sweet girl, so I don't think you have to worry."

"I'm not worried. Why would I be worried? I'm not worried. He can room with whoever he wants. I'm not worried. What do I have to be worried about? I'm not worried." Nora said rapidly as she grabbed another cup and poured more water, "I'm not worried."

"You said that already…like…a lot actually." Mash said as she took a step away from the orange-haired girl, "But you really don't have anything to be worried about."

"Aaa," Frankenstein said with a smile on her face.

"I'm not jealous, Fran." Nora said with slight anger before taking a sip of water, "I'm just…not…worried." She said as she noticed Ren walking over to the group. She could tell he was talking to someone, but he could not see her yet, "And I will be even less not worried when I see her face."

Next to Ren was a girl in a lightish green kimono with an innocent look on her face. She held a hand fan with drawings of flames in her right hand. She also had on sandals and white thigh high stalking. Her eyes were a bright yellow and her long hair was a very light green. On the sides of her head was a pair of what looked like white horns, almost resembling that of a dragon's. She and Ren had a slight giggle as they walked over to the group.

Again, Nora crushed her cup with her grip. Her face in a state of shock, "Hello everyone." Ren said as he and the girl joined the group, "This is my roommate, Kiyohime."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Kiyohime said with a slight bow and an innocent smile on her face.

"It's nice to meet you," Pyrrha replied before she checked her scroll, "We don't have that much time left, so we should head back to change now."

Ren nodded before he noticed someone was missing from the group, "Where's Jaune?" He asked with Pyrrha pointed to their team leader, breathless and beaten as he tried to catch up to the others. Ren sighed, "I'll go give him a hand so we aren't late." He said with Pyrrha nodding. He went over to retrieve his leader, while Pyrrha, Jeanne, and Mash walked back into the Academy.

Kiyohime walked to follow Ren, but Nora stood in her way. She looked down at the draconic Faunus with slight anger, while Kiyohime looked up at her with a slight smile, "Let's get one thing straight. I don't want you getting in the way of Ren's team activities. Our team used to do this every day before classes and he never missed one until today."

"Well, I apologize for the inconvenience," Kiyohime said with a sweet smile, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her statement, "I thought it would be better to show my Ren around the Academy. That way, he could help the rest of your team understand the area a bit more."

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" Nora said as he right eye twitched, "He is not your Ren!"

"Why, is he your Ren?" Kiyohime said with Nora's face turning slightly red, "Are you two close?"

"Aaaa," Frankenstein said as she watched the conversation.

"Yes! I mean, No! I mean, he's Team JNPR's Ren." Nora tried to defend, but the draconic Faunus had a slight giggle. She hid her mouth with her fan, "Hey, you shouldn't tease others. Especially me." Nora said as she crossed her arms, a confident smile on her face, "I'll have you know I am of the Berserker Class."

"What a coincidence, as am I a Berserker," Kiyohime said with the confident smile fading from Nora's face. She then looked passed the orange-haired girl to see Ren helping Jaune walk, "I don't think it is wise for us to waste any more time. I don't want to keep my Ren waiting." the draconic Faunus said before walking away.

Nora stood in shock as Frankenstein poured her roommate another cup of water. The woman in the wedding dress gave the cup to Nora, who quickly drank it in one chug before crushing the cup in her hand, "How can she be a berserker, but also be so cute." She whispered to herself.

"Uu!" Frankenstein said she took slight offense to that comment.

 _Emerald._

Mercury sat across Emerald in a booth in the Academy coffee. Both had a cup of coffee in front of them. However, Emerald had a smug smile on her face as Mercury had a look of annoyance, "So, let me see if I got this all now." Emerald said with a smile, "Your roommate destroyed your metal legs. Blowing right through your aura."

"Yes," Mercury said in an unpleasant voice.

"Then, he made you go to a medical lab to repair them," She said before taking a sip of her coffee, "That you had to crawl to because your legs were blown off."

"Yes," Mercury said after sighing, "Are you done?"

"Not yet," Emerald said before taking another sip of her coffee, "Then, you found out that he wanted you to come back to his room. Saying it was all a misunderstanding and offered you a glass of vine."

"Yes," Mercury said with slight anger in this reply.

"So, like an idiot, you went back to him. However, you said no because you don't drink." Emerald responded before drinking her coffee.

"Because my father was an alcoholic," The grey-haired guy responded before drinking his coffee," I swore to myself I would never drink."

"I know, the one actually descent thing about you," The mint colored haired girl said as before finishing her cup of coffee, "And your roommate respected that. However, he said he could not room with someone who would not drink with him. After making a call, he changed your assigned room to one that was three times as small, didn't have a bathroom, and, in your words, was not cleaned in over a year. But hey, at least it's a room all to yourself."

"It might as well be a doghouse," Mercury said with the word 'mongrel' echoing in his mind, "That guy if I ever see him again…" He said with his fists clenched.

"You said he called himself a King of Heroes." Emerald said, "What did he look like?"

"A red-eyed blond jackass." Mercury said with Emerald giggling, "I have never been so humiliated since my dad…Look, now are you done?"

"Sure, for now." Emerald said with a smile, "Looks like you had a bit of bad luck with your roommate pick. As opposed to me, who has found her perfect match."

"Really," Mercury said in skepticism, "Who is it?"

"His name is Robin Hood," Emerald said as she looked down at her empty cup, "He was a true gentleman to me. I love his orange hair covering one of his eyes."

"Orange hair covering one eye?" Mercury said before a smile came on his face, "You mean like that Roman Torchwick guy has." He then started to chuckle a bit, "You like a guy who looks like Roman."

"He's nothing like Roman!" Emerald said in a rage before calming down, the smile returning to his face, "This guy is smart, cool, and good looking. He has a level of confidence that makes him so charming."

"Oh, so you like someone who's like me." Mercury said with a cocky smile, "Well, I right here."

"Your too full of yourself for me to ever find you appealing," Emerald commented as her voice became sour. She looked across the shop to see her leader talking to Archer, "I see Cinder found who she was looking for easily enough. Now, we just need to play the role of students until she gets what she wants."

"Yeah, I already know the plan. She wants us to act natural and avoid attracting attention." Mercury said before sighing, "Don't really see the point in has us along for the mission, but I'm not going to question the boss." He said before remembering something he had forgotten, "By the way, where's that mute."

Mercury's question promoted Emerald to point to a table to the far right of theirs. At that table sat Neo with a young man across from him. He had short blond hair and a pair of glasses over his green eyes. He had on a cream color vest over a white-collar shirt. The two seemed to be having a laugh about something, but no noise was heard from the pint-sized girl, "She texted me saying that's his roommate." Emerald said as she took out her scroll, "She said his name was Henry Jekyll. He is studying medicine at this academy." Emerald said before she showed Mercury the rest of Neo's text.

"He's also very wild," Mercury read aloud, noticing a heart-shaped symbol instead of the period at the end of the sentence. The grey-haired guy turned back to Emerald, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't ask," Emerald said as she put her scroll away, "In any case, we should get going to class now."

"Yeah," Mercury said before sighing. He finished off his coffee, "You have homeschooled also, right?"

"Really doesn't count as homeschool when you don't have a home." Emerald said in slight annoyance, "I told you before, I don't want to talk about my past."

"Fine, just trying to make conversation." Mercury said as he stood up, "I don't mind taking classes, so long as I don't have any with-" He was saying until he caught a glimpse of Gilgamesh. The King of Heroes wore a black jacket and pants and a white undershirt. Suddenly, Mercury dived back into the booth, hiding his head.

"What are you doing?" Emerald asked as Mercury placed his right index finger to his lips, making a shushing sound. Emerald looked over to see Gilgamesh, remembering Mercury's deception of his former roommate, "Oh, you're scared of him."

"You get your legs blown off by a guy and not have that traumatize you." Mercury said as he stayed hidden, "Just tell me when he's gone?"

"Fine," Emerald said in a bored voice. After a few seconds, she spoke back up, "He's gone." She said. Mercury waited a few seconds longer before lifting his head. As he turned around, he saw Gilgamesh right behind their booth, looking at Mercury with a slight smile. The grey-haired guy turned back to Emerald, who had a slight smile, "Why would you believe me?"

"Hello Mongrel," Gilgamesh said as Mercury turned back to him, his heart racing as he looked at the King of Heroes, "How are your new commendations? I trust they are befitting of someone of your class."

"They aren't," The grey-haired guy said as he stood up, "Stop calling me a mongrel, you know my name is Mercury."

"I refer to all lesser beings as Mongrels," Gilgamesh said as he remained unflinching in front of Mercury, "Excluding you would not be fair to many others."

"You know what, you really piss me off," Mercury said as his eyes flared up, "There is a combat area at this school, right? How about a little one-on-one match?"

"Why would I waste my time on a mongrel like yourself," Gilgamesh responded.

"What are you, scared?" Mercury said with a smile as he slightly pushed Gilgamesh right shoulder. The King of Heroes smile slowly faded as he now had a look of heavy annoyance, "We have a little match. If I win, we swap rooms. And if you win-"

"You have nothing of value to offer me. No treasures to your name. No honor in taking you down." Gilgamesh said before the smile returned to his face, "However, I will accept your challenge and honor your wish. That is if you win."

"And you want nothing?" Mercury asked.

"Oh, I will gain considerable enjoyment in breaking your legs again." The King of Heroes said before walking away, "Our match will be at noon, do not be late."

As he walked way Mercury stared at Gilgamesh. His eyes filled with determination, "You do remember that guy destroyed your legs just the other night?"

"He caught me off guard before," Mercury responded, "That won't happen again. I will make sure of it."

"You keep telling yourself that," Emerald said as she stood up, "At least this time I will get a front row seat to you humiliating yourself." The two members of Cinder's faction walked from their booth, placing their coffee cups in a trash bin on their way out.

 **AN: There you go, all roommates are reviled now. Maria and Weiss, I feel work well together and I want to have Weiss interact more independently from her group. Her socializing with other people is I feel a big step for her character to go through in this story. Blake and Atalanta, both are cool characters. I really do like Atalanta's design in first assentation and her love/hate relationship with apples, it's fun to write. Blake also doesn't have her bow on anymore. I just don't need to make that a plot point in this story, she is comfortable here not to have it on. Ruby also is going through some things now and will have to earn a lot of people's respect in this story. Nora is with Frankenstein as roommates, that one is a perfect match in my opinion. Frankenstein's speech is also primarily 'aa' and 'uu,' but it is still fun to write her. Ren is roomed with Kiyohime more for that rivalry with Nora that I wanted to have. She is such a cool character with an interesting legend behind her. And finally, Neo and Dr. Jekyll as the last couple. It took a while to really fit a character for her to be roomed with, but I like the chemistry I can have between those two. Mercury has a chance to redeem himself against Gilgamesh. Will he prevail, it is the King of Heroes he is up against? That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Ego

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. I have been busy for a while now and haven't had the time to write a lot. With the time I had, I wanted to make one more chapter of this before going back to busy work. This one was fun, I get to introduce a few more characters and allude to a couple of others for down the road. I also got to make a cool fight that I like how it turned out. I had a few references and jokes that made me laugh while writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 5 – Ego**

 _Glynda._

The professor form Beacon found herself reading her tablet while sitting in the empty staff lounge. While her left hand held the tablet, her right hand was gripping a cup of coffee. Suddenly, she heard the sound a someone approaching. Glynda turned to the entrance to see the new guest.

Entering the room was a young man with short, dark blue hair that formed a thin ponytail in the back. He wore a colored shirt with that was light green, yellow and had orange flowers in its design. He had black leather pants and his hands in his pockets. The man yawned before fully entering the room. Once he reopened his eyes, he noticed the female professor, "Oh hello." He said.

"Good morning," Glynda responded as she shut tablet off, placing it next to her. She got up to shake his hand, "My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh, you're the professor form Beacon." He said as he shocks the female professors right hand, "Joining the teaching staff here for a while."

"Are you a teacher as well?" Glynda asked, "You seem very young."

"Well, I'm very accomplished for my age. Plus, this school lets resent graduates teach as adjuncts." The blue-haired man said with a smile, "I'm Cu Chulainn, but if that's too hard to say, you can call me Lancer."

"I assume that's your class," Glynda said as she let go of his hand, a slight smile formed on her face.

Cu Chulainn had a slight giggle as he walked over to a coffee pot on the near counter, "Well, I could be a Caster if I wanted to. But a Lancer suits me more." He said as he poured himself a cup of coffee, "You're here early, usually I'm the one that has to make the coffee."

"I found a map of the academy and located this lounge last night," Glynda responded, "I was a quiet place for me do some light reading."

"Well, what were you reading?" Cu Cuchulainn said as he sat across the professor from Beacon.

"This lands publication on the Origin of Grimm." She said as she picked up her tablet. She opened it to the bibliography of the author, showing an image of a man with long black hair. He wore a black suit with a red tie. His stare was focused, despite only being a photo, "The book was written by this academy's headmaster. It was his thesis and research that changed the whole perspective on Grimm's creation."

"Yeah, Zhuge Liang." Cu Chulainn responded before taking a sip of his coffee, "Another professor calls him Waver, but I think that's because they are close friends."

"Do you know where I can meet him, The Headmaster." Glynda asked, "I went to his office, but he was not available. I wished to talk with him in person on his theories."

"He is out near the south entrance, waiting for his friend to return form a mission." The blue-haired lancer said before the stock another sip of his coffee, ones he finished, he looked back at her with a smile, "It's a good thing I ran into now. A colleague and I are going to be teaching a few of your students in a little bit."

"So, classes here are cotaught?" Glynda inquired.

"A few. One acts as the advisor while the other is the administrator. However, we do things differently. She's a bit more…intense than I think your students might be used to." The blue-haired lancer responded, "So, are they as good as that report said? I mean, one of them is only fifteen."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but were you not just bragging about your own accomplishments despite your age," Glynda responded.

"Yeah, and a lot of people told me it would lead to an early grave." Cu Cuchulainn responded, his face turning more serious than before, "This Ruby girl is she really okay going down a path like this."

Glynda sighed before responded, "A few months ago, I was saying the same thing to the headmaster of Beacon. His answerer was that he knew that she was going to great things in her life, saying it was better so he could keep an eye on her."

"That's nice…and slightly creepy." Cu Cuchulainn answered, "At the end of the day, it's her choice. I just hope she knows that."

"Me too," Glynda said as she stood up, "I am going to look for the headmaster. Thank you for your help." She said before placing her cup in the sink and walking to the exit. Before leaving, she looked back at the blue-haired lancer, "Regarding my students, they are smarter than their age would suggest. They have the skill of huntresses, but not the experience yet. Their personalities and tempers are often what causes them to fail."

"I see," Cu Cuchulainn said as he leaned back in his chair, "I guess their time a Beacon gave them a bit of an ego."

"Regardless, they shouldn't be underestimated." Glynda responded before she adjusted her glasses, "Whatever your teaching methods are, they will put everything they have into bettering themselves." She said before leaving the room. Cu Cuchulainn watched her leave before taking a sip of his coffee.

 _Pyrrha._

Pyrrha and Jaune followed Jeanne and Mash. The rest of their group had split off to go to other classes.

"So, this is the training arena?" Pyrrha asked Jeanne as looked at a large, stone building. The building was cylindrical with a glass dome top. Multiple engravings and carvings decorated the walls. Each showed a battle between large Grimm, some of which the red-haired warrior did not recognize. Other engravings should people fighting each of, wielding weapons of destructive power, "It reminds me of the one used for the Vytal Festival Tournament."

"It is one of a few at this academy." Mash replied, "Both followed a similar designer."

"Different teachers like to do training in varied environments. Some have combat lessons in the forest or even miles away from the academy." Jeanne responded, "The rest of your team have lessons with a teacher who likes to teach outside. She is really nice though. We don't have a class for a little bit, so I thought we could have a little sparring to pass the time."

"That reminds me," Jaune said before he looked to Mash, "What class you?"

"Oh, I'm a Shielder." Mash replied with the male Arc with a confusion, "It's a unique class that focuses a lot more on defense. I believe I am the only one at this Academy that is that class."

"Cool," Jaune responded as Pyrrha and Jeanne started walking towards the open entrance.

"This is an arena is used for people who want to have casual matches. It's a good way to relieve stress when classes become too hectic." The female Ark said as the red-haired warrior looked towards the inside.

Around the circular arena were rows of a few hundred seats, but almost all were empty at this moment as the arena floor was seemed to be on a lower level as if the battleground was twelve feet below the ground level. Pyrrha gazed focused as she noticed two fighters in the arena, but it looked like the fight was already over. One fighter laid unconscious, his clothes tattered and the body laid on his right shoulder. Jeanene entered r to see a battered student in a small crater in the ground, "Oh no," She spoke softly to herself as Pyrrha recognized him from entering this school.

"Is that Mercury!?" The red-haired warrior said before she noticed the missing legs of the grey-haired guy. Pieces of metal were found where his legs should have been. The pieced formed a path that led to the other fighter, the King of Heroes.

Gilgamesh looked down at Mercury with a slight grin. His arms crossed and his hair was now slicked back and slightly spiked. The King of Heroes had a golden set of armor, decorated with a red fabric covering the back of his legs, "Well Mongrel, that provided me with a slight amount of entertainment." He said with a slight moan coming from Mercury's body.

"Hey!" Pyrrha shouted as she ran towards the King of Heroes, who responded with an annoyed look at first, "Don't you think you went a bit too far!" She said as she jumped down into the arena battleground.

"Oh," Gilgamesh said as he recognized the red-haired warrior, prompting a smile on his face "I have heard of you form the news, Pyrrha Nikos. You're the-"

"Who I am doesn't matter right now." Pyrrha responded as she walked over, interrupting the King of Heroes, causing his look of interest to fade away, "What matters is that you destroyed his legs!"

"Prosthetic legs," Gilgamesh corrected, "You know, it is rude to interrupt a person while they are speaking. Especially a King."

"It's rude to blow off someone prosthetic limbs or beat them within an inch of their life!" Pyrrha responded as Jeanene and the others joined her.

"Gilgamesh, why are you even here?" Jeanene said to the King of Heroes, "I thought you said this arena was not fit to serve as the battleground for a King such as yourself."

"A King?" Jaune said as he turned to Mash for clarity.

"Students and teachers here can earn a special title for themselves after winning a certain trail. And those trials are near impossible to complete." The shielder responded, "Gilgamesh beat the trail faster than anyone and earned the title, King of Heroes."

"That doesn't give you the right to do that to people!" Pyrrha said to Gilgamesh while pointing to Mercury.

"Yeah," Jaune said in an agreeing voice, "I mean, Nora I can see doing this. And now that I think of, Pyrrha, you once said-" his voice became less convincing as he trailed on.

"It's okay!" A voice called form the seats. The group turned to see it was Emerald, who was holding up her scroll as if she was recording something earlier, "He deserved it, trust me."

"You're not helping!" The red-haired warrior responded before looking back to the King of Heroes, "You shouldn't go that far in a sparring match."

"Well," Gilgamesh said as he had the grin return to his face, "Would you care to enlighten me to the proper way a match should be conducted?"

Pyrrha glared his red eyes with determination, "Somebody needs to take you off your high horse."

"Pyrrha, I don't think you should-" Jeanene said, but her brother cut her off by putting his right hand on her left shoulder. She turned to see him with a confident smile.

"It's okay," He said with a smile, "She has debuted with guys like this before." Jaune then led her and Mash back to the seats. As he walked up, he turned back to his teammate with a serious look on his face. He gave a slight nod as the red-haired warrior did the same.

Passing by the three was Emerald, who walked over to the unconscious Mercury, "Well, at least your lighter to carry to the medical lab now. I'm going to enjoy the silence on the way." She said as picked up Mercury, hearing him make a slight groan.

Emerald started carrying him out the arena as Pyrrha took her position in the fight. She took out her shield and spear as Gilgamesh keep his arms cross. He gave a single laugh before tilting his head down and closing his eyes.

Jaune, Mash, and Jeanna sat in the front row, waiting for the match to start. The male Arc turned to Mash with a question, "What's this guy's weapon or semblance?"

"Uh," Mash said as before she realized what he meant, "Oh, well, it's hard to explain. So, I'll wait till he shows it off first."

Jaune had a look of confusion and slight worry as he turned back to the fight. A moment of silence fell between the two fighters. Suddenly, Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she rushed the King of Heroes, "Gate of…" Gilgamesh said before she opened his eyes, looking at the red-haired warrior with his sinister smile, "Babylon." After the end of that word, seven yellow vortexes appeared behind him. Pyrrha halted her moment as she took up a defective stance with her shield. As she waited for an attack, she noticed a spear start to emerge from one. From another, an ax. Another one had a sword. Each a different weapon. Each a unique design and aura around them. As Gilgamesh's smile grew slightly, the weapon shot out of the vortex a high speed. Pyrrha's eyes widened as the jumped back to avoid the barrage of weapons. Gilgamesh's assault created a dust cloud as each weapon collided with the ground.

"What was that!?" Jaune said as he couldn't see if his teammate dodged all the attacks.

"That's his Gate of Babylon." His sister responded as she had a stoic expression, focused on the fight, "It's his Noble Phantasm, or at least what he uses to pull out his other Noble Phantasms."

"Noble Phantasm?" Jaune inquired.

"They're an individual's ultimate weapon, their truest skill that gives them the right to be a Heroic spirit here." Jeanne responded before turning to Jaune, "Noble Phantasm are an individual's combination of weapons, semblance, aura, and sometimes the beast they command." Her clarity caused a line of sweat to form on Jaune's face.

"He can pull out weapons from the Gate to attack his foes without moving a muscle. Making him an archer class and one of the strongest ones at this academy." Mash added on, "And his arsenal is so big, its nearly endless. He likes to say he collected all of the world's treasures to use as his own."

"That's, pretty strong." Jaune commented before he had a slight smile come back to his face, "But, I still have faith in Pyrrha." He said right before the red-haired warrior jumped out of the smoke, unharmed. as she landed on the ground, Gilgamesh focused his gaze. He aimed the vortexes at her, causing more weapons shot out towards her, "She never underestimates her opponents and knows exactly what to in a situation like this." The male Arc said as Pyrrha rushed the King of Heroes again.

Gilgamesh fired a spear towards the red-haired warrior. While the aim of the weapon was straight, Pyrrha waved her right hand. A black aura surrounded the weapon, veering its trajectory away from her. "Oh," Gilgamesh said in slight interest as Pyrrha got in range to attack with her spear. At that moment, he had a vortex appear next to his right hand. The King of Heroes reached into the vortex to pull out a sword. He blocked her strike, parrying the attack before he attempted to strike her. As he aimed for her left shoulder, he noticed the red-haired warrior looked at the sword. Like before, a black aura surrounded the weapon, causing Gilgamesh to miss his strike.

Pyrrha attempted to try for attack with her spear, but she noticed another vortex a few inches from her face. Another sword shot out from the vortex, this one at a higher speed than the others. She jumped back to avoid the hit, before reposing herself. Her breathing became slightly heavy a Gilgamesh grinned.

"The rumors are true about your abilities," The King of Heroes said as he looked at the sword, "You can alter the polarity of the metal in weapons and armor of your opponent. Making you seemingly untouchable." He said before the sword glowed yellow, vanishing into light particles. Pyrrha watched him intensely, seeing what he was planning, "However, seemingly untouchable will not save you. I have numerous ways to counter that ability of yours." He said before over a dozen vortexes over his head. Gilgamesh smirked as the different weapons emerged from the vortexes. Pyrrha gritted her teeth as her hand glowed with a black aura. However, she gasped as she noticed something about the weapons before one pole fired out. She tried to block a weapon with her shield, but the force from the impact pushed her across the arena into the wall. She coughed in pain before realizing the other weapons.

As Pyrrha ran to avoid the volley, Jaune turned to the other girl's eyes of panic, "What's going on, why isn't she using her semblance anymore!?"

"Gilgamesh is using fully golden weapons." Mash answered, "Gold is not magnetic, so her semblance is useless now."

"He also has increased his rate of fire and weapon output." Jeanne commented as she watched Pyrrha run, "She can't win."

"Yes, she can!" Jaune responded as he looked back to the fight. Pyrrha looked for an opening as she changed her spear into a rifle. While running, she aimed at the King of Heroes, whose eyes were closed now. She pulled the trigger. The bullet traveled straight for his right eye. Just as it was a foot away from the target, a large vortex appeared to his right. Instantly, a large, golden shield dropped out and blocked the bullet. Pyrrha had a look of shock before hearing a single laugh come from behind the shield. Suddenly, the shield vanished into a light and a golden Warhammer flung out at the red-haired warrior. Pyrrha had no time to dodge or block the weapon head slammed into her stomach, pushing her back into the wall, pinning her. Her aura broke insanity as she coughed up blood unto the hammer.

Gilgamesh looked at the blood on his weapon, causing his expression to become slightly enraged. The hammer vanished, and the red-haired warrior fell to her knees. She looked for her shield. As she picked it up and barely managed to stand, her eyes widened as she looked at the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh had created over fifty of the vortexes of the Gate of Babylon. All aimed at Pyrrha with a different golden weapon, "Now then, Pyrrha Nikos," Gilgamesh said with a smirk on his face, "Is this going too far?" His comment caused Pyrrha's breathing to become sporadic. Her hands trembled before she dropped her shield back to the ground. Gilgamesh gave a single laugh before all the vortexes vanished. Pyrrha looked at the ground as he teeth were grit in anger. The King of Heroes walked passed the red-haired warrior, his arms still crossed, "You may challenge me again whenever you like. I will always find enjoyment in that look of failure on that face of yours." He said before walking out of the arena.

Pyrrha clenched her fists as she trembled with anger. Suddenly, she felt a person place their hand on her right shoulder. She looked up to see Jaune with a smile on his face, "I'm sorry Jaune." She said with regret to her leader.

"It's all right, are you okay?" He asked sincerely. Pyrrha responded by nodding as Jeanne and Mash rejoined them.

"It's rare for Gilgamesh to open that much of the Gate." Mash commented, "It's even rarer for him to openly acknowledge his opponent and say he's willing for a rematch."

"I still don't like that guy." Jaune said as he turned to his sister, "What's his deal?"

"Let's just say he's very into himself," Jeanna responded, "Gilgamesh is one of the school's strongest students. He has a very big ego, but he has the power to back up all of his insults."

"So, you guys just let him bully people because he's too strong?" Jaune responded.

"Typically, he doesn't go out of his way to attacked people. Only acting like that when provoked." Mash responded, "So long as you don't make him mad, he just kind of stays to himself." Her comments caused both Jaune and Pyrrha to go silent, looking to each other for an answer. The shielder walked between the two, "Let's try to go somewhere else to relax before class." She said with Jeanne nodding in agreeance. The two started to walk out of the arena, the members of Team JNPR following behind.

 **AN: There you go, that's the fifth chapter. I do like writing Glynda, she is a cool character they just never do anything within the series. Bringing in Lancer is great, he was one of my favorite character in the fate series. Waver is in this story, but in his adult age and is the headmaster of the Chaldea Academy. Gilgamesh destroyed Mercury, but I don't need to humiliate him again like that. Pyrrha, However, knows she's good but not at the level of the King of Hero. The use of gold in this fight was a cool fact I wanted to play within the battle. With any RWBY verses Fate story like this, some power gapes are very big. I don't want to alter the gap, but I don't want boring fights either. This is a more character focused story, not a quest or journey like the priority of the show. I want to try and play with the characters a bit and do thing the two series didn't do are had the opportunity to explore. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6 - Personal Issues

**AN: Hey everyone, I know it's been a while. I have been busy lately, but my schedule is clearing up, so I can do a little more writing now. I wanted to do another chapter of this because I like writing this story a lot. This one has a little bit of character development and backstory for some of the Fate series characters. Also, you may notice some naming changes for the RWBY series characters (i.e. I refer to the character as sometimes to identities Ruby and the silver-eyed girl mean the same person. With some of the characters now, they secondary classification is linked to their class like Yang is also called the blond berserker. This is just to show their integration into this school a bit more now). Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 6 – Personal Issues**

 _Mordred._

The prideful knight had returned from to the courtyard of Chaldea Academy. Her outfit changed from her casual attire to something more elaborate. Her midriff was still shown, but her forearms sleeves were covered with a bright red with gold lining. The rest of her skirt was of the same color palette, with her now wearing black thigh highs and red heels. She quickly found the table with Yang, Ruby, and Astolfo. As Mordred walked over she noticed the rest of the group was gone, "What happened?" Mordred said as she sat next to Yang noticing a piece of toast on a plate at the empty seat.

"The others had to go their first class," Astolfo answered with a smile as Mordred sat down, "They have Professor Shakespeare and his literature class."

The prideful knight gave a single laugh as she picked up the toast with her left hand, "To bad for them, his classes always cause me to fall asleep." She said before biting into the toast. While chewing, she continued the conversation, "We have to take these two for registration."

"We already did that." Ruby interjected as she took out her class card, "See, already registered."

"Yes, but you haven't registered your weapon yet as a Noble Phantasm yet," The svelte paladin responded, causing Ruby to have a look of confusion. Astolfo turned back to Mordred, "Care to demonstrate?" The prideful knight swallowed before raising her right hand in the air. Suddenly, a reddish energy gathered around her palm. The energy condensed and formed a heavy sword with a large blade. The fuller, guard, and grip of the sword had a dark red material lining. Mordred rested the blade on her right shoulder before biting into the piece of toast again.

"Wow!" Ruby exclaimed, "So you don't need a locker to store your weapons?"

"Not exactly the point," Astolfo responded with a slight smile, "You basically can register what you use in combat by linking part of your spirit to it. Allowing you to summon it whenever and wherever you want."

"Neat," Yang commented, "Beacon has is so you can call your locker to your location when you need your weapon." The blond berserker then lifted her right arm, showing the metallic wristband. As she made a fist, the metallic band transformed, morphing into her gauntlet loaded with red slugs for fire, "But some of us can always have our weapons with us this way." Yang said with a smile.

"I know," Ruby said as she pulled out her Crescent Rose from behind her back, cradling the weapon in her hands, "I just can't put my weapon in my locker sometimes."

"Either way is good, but Chaldea's way lets you store things a little too big for lockers," Astolfo said, "I'm sure Hippogriff would like a cramped space like that."

"Hippogriff?" Yang commented as she lowered her arm, "What's that?"

"My ride as a Rider Class," The svelte paladin responded, "I'd show him, but he's a bit shy."

"Wait," Ruby said as she remembered soothing from her room, "I thought you were a Saber Class, I saw the sword."

"Just because you are put into a certain class doesn't mean you need to use the weapon in the class. It is accounted for, but not a requirement per say." Mordred said before pointing at Ruby's weapon with the point of her sword, "You uses a scythe, which is a lancer type weapon. But the class card you have is for a Rider, not a Lancer. I mean, you should see some of the Archers here."

"The Class Cards are made based on the individual, not the weapon they have. You can change your class sometime, but it's a hard process that can alter your personality or at one ti-." Astolfo added on. However, he cut himself off. He looked over to Mordred, who had a slit look of remorse on her face. The svelte paladin turned back to Ruby, "Hey, why don't we change the subject."

"Uhh…okay?" Ruby said in confusion as Yang looked over to Mordred. The prideful knight's expression changed to a bit more relaxed, causing the blond girl to squint her eyes slightly. Ruby added, "Like what?"

"How about why you are going to Beacon? What you want to become?" Astolfo asked.

Ruby smiled, "That's an easy one. I want to be a Huntress, go around the world and kill Grimm." The silver-eyed girl said with Mordred look changing to slight disdain, "I mean, they're just so cool and skilled and nice. I want to be just like one of best."

"Hey," Mordred interjected, "The way you talk about it. Who do you want to be like, specifically?" There was a slight bit of anger in the prideful knight's voice. Ruby had a look of confusion, while Astolfo had a look of slight panic. Yang looked at Mordred with slight resentment at her tone to her sister.

"Well, there are a few people like my dad and uncle," Ruby replied with a smile "But I would say it was my mom that really had me want to be a Huntress. I know this is what she wanted for me." Her comment caused Mordred to put down the rest of her toast, "Are you okay?" Ruby asked in concern.

"It's nothing," Mordred said before she stood up, "but you know kids don't always succeed their parent's dreams." The prideful knight's comment caused Ruby to look at her with sadness, "You guys start heading over to the lab, I need a minute." She said before walking away from the group.

Ruby hung her head low as Astolfo patted her back, "What did I do this time?"

"It's nothing big, she'll get over it." The svelte paladin said in an uplifting voice, "Come on, let's get going." He then looked over to Yang, who remained silent as she glared over a Mordred.

"You two go on without me." The blond berserker said as she stood up, "I need to have a chat with my roommate."

"Are you sure?" Astolfo asked but Yang was already walking away. He sighed before he and Ruby got up and walked the other way.

Mordred was leaning against a tree, searching her outfit for something. Yang walked over to her roommate, her eyes slightly red and right fist slightly griped. Mordred noticed Yang walking over, stopping her search with a slight sigh, "What do you want?"

"What was that all about!?" Yang exclaimed, "Why did you say that to my sister about her life dream? She was trying open up after getting off the wrong foot with you before. But then you have to ruin it by acting like a jerk." Mordred tightened her grip on her Clarent, while Yang slightly raised her arms in a fighting stance. The two glared at each other for a few seconds, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

Suddenly, Mordred sighed again and loosened her grip, "I didn't mean to snap like that. Her story just brought up something about me." She said with Yang lowering her stance, "If we are going to want to get along after this, there's something you need to know about me. You know, since something like this might happen again."

"In which case, I would have to knock some sense into you." Yang said with a slight smile as she crossed her arms, her eyes returning to her normal color, "Alright, what is it I should know about you?"

Mordred took a deep breath before talking, "First, you need to know who my father is." She said with Yang focused on the prideful knight, "Arthur Pendragon, King of Knights."

"Does that make you a princess?" Yang said with a giggle. Mordred slightly blushing, "Sorry, go on."

"He was revered as the best heroic sprite in the land. His power unmatched and his Noble Phantasm could obliterate hordes of enemies. He was also the inspiration for so many future heroic spirits to come." The prideful knight said with a slight smile forming on her face, but only for a second as she continued, "He even could change to all other class. Each one was incredibly powerful. But one day, something happened that caused the class changing process to alter his gender."

"Wait, his gender?" Yang interrupted with Mordred nodding

"The academy has long since fixed that problem." Mordred said as she started to look away from Yang, "However, something they never could figure out what how the process also impregnated him."

"What!?" Yang said as she uncrossed her arms, "That's insane. How do you even explain that?"

"The doctors said I'm what's called a homunculus, but that's just the closest thing they could think to call me." The prideful knight answered, "Genetically, I am identical to my father. A far closer match than any other normal child could be. Some of the students around here refer to me as his son, but that claim doesn't bother me." She said with a slight smile returning to her face, "At first, I loved the fact that my father was the King of Knights and I wanted to be just like him." Slowly that smile faded as Mordred looked to the ground, "But my father never saw me as anything. No matter how hard I tried, nothing ever impressed her." Mordred took another breath before continuing, "About a year ago is when I found out the truth of what I really am. When I confronted him about it, it led to a big fight."

"What type of fight?" Yang asked.

"A fight that put me in the hospital for about a week. When I came to, my father was reported missing. I didn't remember anything and don't know if he is alive or dead." Mordred then looked back up at Yang, "Here at this academy is the only way I can find clues as to where he went. Once I graduate here, I can leave to search the world of Remnant for him."

"I can relate to that." Yang responded, "Just sub the word 'father' with 'mother' and leave out all the gender stuff and you have why I am going to Beacon."

"Really?" Mordred inquired as she raised her right eyebrow.

"I know, pretty ironic." Yang responded before waiting for a second to continue, "So, when you find your dad, what are you going to do?"

Another silence fell over the two, Mordred breaking it with a laugh, "I don't know. A lot of things come to mind, most of them violent." Her laughter faded as she felt the sadness return, "But I think I would ask her why she left, why she hates me, and if she wishes I was never born." Mordred wanted to say these aloud but only left these words to wonder her mind. Instead, another silence fell over the two.

Suddenly, Yang walked over to Mordred. The blond berserker unfolded her arms and hugged the prideful knight, taken Mordred in slight shock. "It's okay, I know what you're thinking. I have had those thoughts also." Yang said with sincerity as Mordred hugged her back. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Yang," Mordred said with a smile before letting go of the blond berserker, "I'm…I'm sorry about before."

"You should really apologize to Ruby, not me. Don't worry, she's not the type to hold a grudge." Yang said with a smile before she turned away and started walking away, "Also, you should know Ruby's mother actually never wanted her to become a huntress. But after her death, that's all Ruby wanted to do with the rest of her life." Yang's comment caused Mordred to slightly gasp, "She doesn't like talking about that way, but it really is her own dream to be a huntress."

"I didn't realize that," Mordred said as she followed Yang, "I feel like a real jerk now." The prideful knight then started to search her pockets for something but found nothing.

"Yeah…." Yang said as she looked back. she slightly pondered of her next thought before speaking, "Since you confessed something to me, I should come honest with something."

"You don't have to," Mordred replied.

"Well, I know you're looking for your cigarettes right now." Yang replied, avoiding eye contact, Mordred looked at her in slight confusion, "The thing is, I saw them in your room last night after you went to sleep and threw them out."

"You what!?" Mordred angerly replied as she stopped searching, "You know how much those things cost me?"

"Hey, I didn't want to be roomed with someone who smokes. It's bad for you and makes your hair stink." Yang said before turning back, "I was doing you a favor." Yang hoped to see the prideful knight with a happy expression. However, Mordred's eyes were full of rage as she tightened her grip on her sword, "Oh boy," Yang said before Mordred started rushing her. The blond berserker turned and started to flee, a slight smile on her face with a mix of panic as Mordred swings her sword.

 _Archer._

Waking up, Mercury slowly opened his eyes. He quickly realized he was back in the medical lab on one of their bed. His body was bandaged as he lacked the strength to move an inch. Upon a quick scan of the room, he found Cinder sitting in a chair. She was talking with her roommate, who glance over at the gray-haired assassin, "Looks like you're awake now." Archer responded.

"Ugh," Mercury said as his head was still throbbing in agony, "What happened to me."

"Well," Cinder said as she faced her subordinate, her legs crossed and a smile on her face, "You challenged the King of Heroes to a fight and he," She then made a slight pause before continuing, "How do I put this, demoralized you and broke your legs…again."

"You were not there, I almost had him," Mercury said as he tried to get up, but fell back into bed.

"No, you didn't." Archer said as he pulled out his scroll, "From what your teammate recorded, I would say you never stood a chance."

"Emerald," Mercury said while clenching his fists, "When I get out of here, I'm going to make them both pay."

"Regardless," Cinder said turning to the gray-haired assassin, "You're exempt form classes today. Emerald will bring what homework and notes she gathered for you. You can give her a piece of your mind then."

Archer then pointed over to the right side of the bed. Mercury looked to see a pair of his prosthetic metal legs, "I was able to trace your old model, creating a copy that is a bit more reinforced."

"Thanks," Mercury said as he reached down for one of the legs. Upon feeling it, he could instantly tell it was stronger, "Wait, did you say trace?"

"I guess where you're from, you could call that my semblance." Archer said as Cinder stood up and walked over to the door out the room, "Just don't go pissing off Gilgamesh again. Those things still won't stand the Gate of Babylon." He said as he followed Cinder to the door.

They walked out of the room, leaving Mercury alone with his thoughts. He laid back in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Outside the room, Archer looked at Mercury through the window, "I hate this school." the silver-haired assassin said to himself.

Archer looked into the room through the glass window, staring at Mercury. "So, what's his story?"

"Let's just say he had issues with his father that lead to a violent resolution." Cinder said as she walked, Archer followed her, "The two differed on ideals and what he wanted out of life."

"I see," Archer said before his mind drifted. He recalled a time in his adolescence, as a small boy with red hair. The young Shirou looked up to a man with disheveled black hair. The two smiled before Archer's mind refocused to the conversation at hand, "Does he know what he wants to do?"

"He doesn't know himself, just that he knew it wasn't what his father wanted." Cinder responded, "Mercury wants to do whatever he desires at the moment. He follows me because I give him that freedom, so long as he follows my orders when I need him to." She turned back to Archer with a slight smile with a hint of a sinter nature, "I think that's enough questions, for now, we do have a busy schedule for today."

Archer sighed before nodding, "How can somebody be vague and straightforward at the same time?" He muttered, causing Cinder giving a single laugh before turning around and walking away. Archer followed her, a look of wariness in his eyes.

 _Gilgamesh._

Gilgamesh walked down a hallway on the second floor of the academy. He was back in his black jacket attire and normal hair. A smile was on his face as he walked with his hands in his pockets. Suddenly, the left side wall a few feet in front of him exploded. The King of Heroes stopped himself before any debris could hit him. His expression slowly changed slight annoyance as he looked at the pile of rubble. He walked over to the hole in the wall, looking down to see Mordred.

"Sup Gilgamesh!" Mordred called up to him.

"You realized you blocked my path, Son of the King of Knight." He yelled down at her.

"Sorry about that," The prideful knight replied, "Is my roommate okay?" Gilgamesh turned to see the pile of rubble start to shake. He backed up before Yang stood up from the wreckage.

"I'm good!" Yang yelled back as she rolled her shoulder, "Well, at least I down have to warm up before training today." She then looked over to see the King of Heroes standing nearby, "Oh, hey there." She said with a smile.

"You must be another one of those transfer students." Gilgamesh responded, a slight smile forming on his face, "But, you seem a bit different than the others I have seen."

"Well, let me introduce myself," The blond berserker said as she extended her right hand, "I'm Yang."

The King of Heroes looked down at the hand for a second before letting out a single laugh. He then extended his right hand, "A pleasure Yang, I am Gilgamesh." He said shaking her hand.

From ground level, Mordred jumped. She landed on the edge of where the wall used to be. Upon landing, she saw the Yang and Gilgamesh looking at one another with a slight smile, "Uhh?" The prideful knight said in confusion.

"Oh, you're here?" Yang said as she turned to her roommate, letting go of Gilgamesh's hand, "You got that out of your system yet?"

"For now," Mordred replied as she crossed her arms, "I'm still angry at what you did."

"And I would have been angry if your sword cut some of my hair." Yang said as pulled her hair over her right shoulder, brushing some of the dust-out, "Seriously, that would not have been cool."

"It certainly is a treasure you have worked hard to acquire." Gilgamesh said put his hand back in his pockets, "I could image your rage if someone were to damage it."

"Exactly, that what I keep telling people." Yang responded in agreeance, "But, some just don't get it."

"They do not know true treasures when they see it," Gilgamesh replied, "Lucky, that is a skill I have a good amount of experience with."

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," Yang responded with a slight smile and laugh. Gilgamesh responded with a similar smile on his face forming. The two stared at each other for a bit, while Mordred continued to have a look of confusion.

"Uh Yang, we should be going now," Mordred said breaking the silence.

"You're right," Yang said as she turned to her the prideful knight, "Lead the way." She said before Mordred turned back to the hole in the wall. She jumped down before Yang walked over to the edge. Before the blond berserker jumped to follow her roommate, she turned back to the King of Heroes, "See you around." Yang said with a quick wave as she winked at him before jumping.

Gilgamesh stood there as he made a single laugh before he turned around and walked the other way, "These transfer students are providing me with a wealth of entertainment now." He said as he walked.

 **AN: There you go, a little bit of backstory and some flirting moments at the end of the chapter. So, you see how Mordred's backstory is a bit different in this to fit world a bit more. Also, it gives her a bit more motivation at this school and a connection to some of the RWBY series characters. (As a side note, Mordred is my favorite Fate series character. If you want to let me know yours in a review, feel free to do so). I hope it is still understandable, it took a long time to try to create something that could fit what I wanted to tell. Now, as for Artoria, she will be in this story. However, her introduction will not be for a while as I plan for that to be a pivotal ark. Archer's past in this story will become clearer over time, I just don't want to reveal too much too soon with him. As for Gilgamesh and Yang, I will leave that up to interpretation right now. Again, I want to play around with things a bit here. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7 - One Hit is All You Need

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and answer the last question. Since I asked for the Fate series favorite, I should ask who is your favorite form the Rwby side? (For me, of the main four I think Yang is cool. However, my real favorite character is Neo. Both should be obvious based on the way I write them in my stories). Anyway, I will try to keep these notes shorter now to get on with the story. This chapter has a few matches, weapons, and NP used, and introducing a new professor to the academy in the middle of a lesson. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 7 – One Hit is All You Need**

 _Nora._

Deep in the forest far outside of Academy, a duo of female berserker students walked down a dirt path. Leading the other was Nora, marching with a smile on her face. To her right was Frankenstein with a look of slight worry, "Aa uu?" The woman in a wedding dress said as Nora turned to here.

"Of course, I know where I'm going. It's I not too far from here." The orange haired berserker said before she inhaled the fresh air. After exhaling, she looked straight ahead, "In fact," She said before charging forward. Frankenstein followed her, leading to bright light in the clearing. As the two girls exited into the forest, the reached a shoreline to a vast ocean. They jumped off a small ledge onto the sand. The sand was smooth slightly scorched from the heat. "See, I knew I could find the sea." Nora said with a smile, "That was an easy challenge."

"Aa!" Frankenstein said as she turned to her roommate, a smile on her face. The woman in a wedding dress then turned to her right. She noticed something in the distance, parting her hair away from her eyes to see more clearly. "Uu!" Frankenstein said as she pointed again.

"What?" Nora said as she turned to where Nora pointed. She noticed a small group of students, all gathered around forming a small campsite near some large rocks. Sighting on one rock was Neo, who was watching Jekyll set up a stone for a firepit. She has a slight smirk as she watched him. Near the pint-sized girl was Emerald, who was emptying sand from her shoes. Relaxing against another rock was Robin, his eyes closed as he listened to the crashing waves. "I don't believe it, we're last."

"Not quite," The two berserker girls heard a voice call to them from the forest. They turned to see a woman with light magenta hair and a large scar across her face. she wore white pants with large black boots. While she wore a large red trench coat, most of her chest was still exposed. She carried larger bundles of wood over each shoulder, "You two had determination, but your luck didn't favor your endeavors this time."

"I thought I knew where I was going." Nora said as she kicked the sand, "What now Professor?"

"First, you don't have to call me professor, I'm Drake," The female pioneer said as she jumped off the small ledge, "Second, it's no big deal. You got here alright."

Frankenstein turned to see two other people exiting the forest. they were Ren and Kiyohime "Uu!" The women in the wedding dress said, causing Nora to turn at the moment Ren jumped off the ledge. He turned back to extend his right hand to help the draconic faunus down. Kiyohime smiled as she reached out for his hand, a slight giggle in her voice. However, Nora had a look of anger at two. Small sparks started to come from her body, colliding with the sand to make bits of glass. Frankenstein looked at Nora with a slight worry, "Aa?"

"No, I'm fine Fran," Nora said through her teeth, causing Drake chuckle as she walked by.

"Save your energy," The female pioneer said as she walked near Jekyll, dropping the wood next to his pit. "Okay class, now that every one got here. We can start with our second challenge test."

"What's next?" Ren asked, "Some type of test?"

Drake cleaned off her coat as she addressed his question, "Well, not one of those pen and paper tests. This is a little combat training." Upon finishing to brush herself down, she extended her right index finger, "However, for my test, you can only use one hit to defeat your opponent."

"One hit?" Emerald said as she put on her shoes, "What is that meant to test?"

"You know the saying, 'only have one shot.' Let's see how well you students from Beacon and Haven perform against our homeborn students." Drake said as she saw the other everyone gathers around, "We already had your weapons registered, but you'll be going up against some Noble Phantasms you have never seen before." She then scanned the crowd of eight students, "Now. How should I make the match up?"

"Excuses me," Robin interrupted, "But I think two people should portal the area. You know, save our strength in case any Grimm want to come by."

"That's not a bad idea," Drake commented, "Okay, you and Ren do that." She then looked to the rest of the group. "Anyone have any knowledge on who they want to fight?"

"I choose to fight Kiyohime!" Nora declared as she rose her right hand. The orange haired berserker then glanced over to draconic faunus, who had a slight giggle as she made eye-contact.

"Ua?" Frankenstein said as she looked over to Neo. The pint-sized girl looked over at the woman in a wedding dress, nodding her head. After she stopped, Neo had a smirk on her face as she changed the orientation of her eye color, "Grr," Frankenstein replied as she clenched her fists.

Emerald was still making she see was clean of sand when Jekyll got up, "Excuse me, your Neopolitan's friend?" He said as he turned to the green-haired assassin, giving a slight bow, "If it's okay with you, I would like to challenge you."

"Uhh, okay," Emerald replied with him responding with a smile, "Odd, he doesn't seem to be that wild." She thought to herself.

Drank pointed to Robin and Ren, "Alright, you two make sure nothing interrupts these fights." She said with both nodding before going back into the forest. she then turned to Nora and Kiyohime. "You two were the first to pair up, why don't you two go first."

"I would love to," Kiyohime said with, but for mouth frowned at the end of her sentence, "But I wish I could have shown Ren how talented I am."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nora commented with a scornful look.

"Oh nothing," Kiyohime said as she took her position a few meters away from the orange-haired berserker, "I guess I should end this quickly, otherwise I'll get sand all over my kimono."

"Oh, it will be over quickly," Nora said as she put on a sinister grin. She then looked at her hands. Bluish energy started to form, sparking like that of a lightning bolt. She then clapped her hands, creating an almost thunder-like sound with a shockwave of bluish energy. As she spread he hands apart, the bluish energy grew into a large bubble radiating electricity. Once the bubble was just over a foot and a half in diameter, what looked like a grenade launcher formed in the center. Nora reached into the bubble with both hands pulling out her weapon. She looked at it with a smile as it was still sparking, "This is so cool." She said before looking to her opponent.

Kiyohime smiled as she pulled out a hand fan form her left sleeve. As she opened the fan, she showed a fire with serpent-like dragons decorating the design. The draconic faunus held her fan to cover the lower half of her face.

"That it?" Nora asked, "A fan?"

"Well, it is what I like to use in my Berserker class," Kiyohime responded.

"It doesn't look all that special. Or that it could turn into anything." Nora said before she pressed a button on her grenade launcher. The weapon began to morph and transform its shape, creating a long pole. The base of the weapon showed a flat, hammer-like head at one end, "Unlike mine." The orange haired berserker said with a smile as she took up a fighting stance. Kiyohime giggled as she covered her mouth with the fan, causing Nora to grit her teeth.

"Ready you two?" Drake said as the other students stood behind her. She smiled before taking off a flintlock pistol, "Go on the gunshot." The female pioneer said before aiming the gun at the sky.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Drake shot into the air. At the moment, Nora rushed Kiyohime. The orange-haired berserker primed her hammer with sparks of electricity radiating from the head.

Kiyohime closed her eyes, her body stayed still. A bluish aura started to surround her, behaving like a fire radiating from her body. She opened her eyes, which now turned to a bright red. She reeled back her right hand with the hand fan starting to gather all the blue energy. As Nora was a couple of feet away for the draconic faunus, Kiyohime smiled as her gaze became focused. Kiyohime's body flashed in blue light as she fanned towards the orange haired berserker.

Suddenly, the draconic faunus' body vanished. The blue light gathered in the hand fan before quickly erupting out. Nora stopped in shock as the fiery blue energy took the shape a long, serpent-like dragon in the sky. The dragon roared before plummeting towards Nora. The orange-haired berserker could not defend fast enough before the fiery dragon collided with her body. The collision created a pillar of blue flames that were a couple of meters in diameter and height rose above the nearby tree line.

Drake looked with her arms cross and a smile on her face as Emerald shielded her eyes from the fire had a look of Neo covered her eyes with her left hand as she reached into her right pocket. From her pocket, she pulled out a pair of sunglasses and quickly put them one. The pint-sized girl smiled as she looked at the inferno.

Frankenstein had a look of panic and had already started to run towards the fire, but Jekyll grabbed her right shoulder with his left hand. She turned back to him with rage in her eyes, but he shook his head. "Don't worry, she is not going to kill your friend," Jekyll said in a calming voice. Frankenstein looked back to see the fire begin to calm down, disappearing in almost an instant. All the group could see was a crater surrounded by charred sand.

"AA!" Frankenstein said as she broke from Jekyll's grip. She ran over to see down the crater to see Nora's flat on her back. Despite being hit by the fire, her body was not as charred as the area around her. Kiyohime stood a few feet away, looking down at Nora with a smug smile. Her eyes returned to their normal color.

Emerald walked over to the crater, "What was that!?" She exclaimed.

Kiyohime looked up at the green-haired assassin, "That was my Noble Phantasm. I may not have a transforming weapon, but the ability to transform myself into a dragon is a pleasant alternative." The draconic faunus said before hearing Nora cough will on the ground, "I do need to be careful with the flames, otherwise I could burn my opponent alive."

"But…how is that even possible?" Emerald said with Drake walking behind her.

"I'm probably not the first to tell you this, but things are different here as opposed to the other kingdoms," The female pioneer said with a smile, "So when you see something amazing. Just go with it."

Frankenstein jumped down the crater to aid her roommate in getting up. Nora rested on her roommate's right shoulder, her hammer vanishing into particles of light. "Thanks, Fran." Nora said in a dizzy voice, "I think I need to take a quick nap." The orange haired berserker said before passing out.

 _Neo._

"Uu?" Frankenstein said as she smiled, carrying her friend out of the crater. Kiyohime jumped out of the hole in the ground, landing near a large rock. She gracefully sat down as she fanned herself.

"Okay, round one goes to the students from Chaldea." Drake said before looking over to the woman in a wedding dress, "How about you face your opponent now?"

"Aa!" Frankenstein said with a nod as she gently rested Nora against a hill of sand. Neo looked over to her opponent, taking off her sunglasses and changing the orientation of her iris color, "Grr!" Frankenstein replied as the two moved into position a few feet from one another.

Neo reached to her left side with her right hand. Suddenly, a white vortex around a foot wide appeared in her reach. Her right end entered the vortex. In a swift motion, Neo pulling out an umbrella from the vortex. She did a single twirl as she opened the umbrella and resting it on her right shoulder and bowing to her opponent.

"Au!" Frankenstein replied as she extended her right hand forward. A bolt of lightning formed in her right palm. Once she gripped it, the lightning condensed into a rod with a large steel ball at one end. She grabbed the mace weapon with her left hand as she took up a ready stance, "Ua?" The woman in the wedding dress asked.

Neo responded with a couple of nods as Drake remained her pistol into the sky.

Upon the sound of the gunshot, Frankenstein began to growl as electricity sparked for the body. However, the electricity had a greenish hue to it. The head of the mace began to open, revealing a green reactor. Neo had a smug look on her face as she maintained her stance. "Uuuuuu!" Frankenstein said before striking the sand with her weapon, causing a large pillar of lighting to erupt straight for the clouds.

Neo remained undamaged as she looked at Frankenstein panting. The pint-sized girl tilted her head to the left as she scratched her head with her left hand.

"Does that count?" Emerald said to Drake, "She attacked, but it missed."

"Well," Drake said with a smile, "The attack is not over yet." Her comment caused Emerald to have a look of confusion. Suddenly, the sound of a thunderclap came over the area. Emerald, Drake, and Neo looked up to see the sudden black clouds fill a section of the sky over the two fighters. In a flash, a bolt of lightning plunged down towards the pint-sized girl. Neo's irises turned white right before the lightning crashed into her body.

The impact created an explosion, sending a wave of smoke over the area. Emerald shielded her eyes from the smoke while Drake did the same. Kiyohime coughed as she tried to fan away from the smoke. The smoke did not last long before the area cleared. "My kimono!" The draconic faunus pleaded as the dust got on her clothes. In the distance, Nora laughed even while unconscious.

Emerald looked to the impacted spot was a crater smaller than the other one. However, the sand with not only burnt but also crystallized in a glass. Not only that, but Neo was nowhere to be seen. "Is she…" Emerald said before seeing Jekyll to her right. He had his arms crossed and smiling. Emerald was still confused until looking back to the fight.

The smoke now cleared over where Frankenstein's stood. However, the woman in the wedding dress was not alone. Standing on the head of her mace was Neo, who pointed her umbrella straight at Frankenstein's neck. Pointing out the tip of the umbrella was a thin blade; the tip was mere centimeters from impaling Fran's foe's windpipe. "Grrr!" Frankenstein said as Neo had a smirk on her face.

"Very clever," Drake commented, "She used a decoy right before the lightning hit."

Jekyll looked back to the crater "Her decoy being made of glass was also a befit in this fight. As she could have convinced the enemy she really was obliterated." He said before looking back at Neo, a smile on his face, "But she chose to attack under cover of the smoke. That's impressive."

"…Au," Frankenstein said in a defected voice before Neo jumped off the mace. As the woman in the wedding dress was about to walk away. The pint-sized her bowed to her former opponent with a smile on her face. Frankenstein had a look of confusion before a small smile formed on her face. her mace vanished as she grabbed her dress. Frankenstein curtsied as she lifted her dress slightly to avoid any sand getting on it. The two then stared at each other with joy before returning to the group.

 _Emerald._

"Okay, it's one-to-one." Drake said as Emerald and Jekyll took their positions, "Time to see who is going to win it all."

"This should be interesting since we are both Assassin Classes," Jekyll said as she pulled out a small knife from his back. he started to rotate the knife in his right hand.

"That may be the case," Emerald said as she drew both her large revolvers, "But you brought a knife to a gun fight." She smiled, but Jekyll remained calm. The green haired assassin contemplated her next action as Drake git her gun ready. "I don't know what he is going to do or how crazy it will be. But I can use my semblance to make sure his attack misses." She thought as Drake pointed her gun the sky, "I can activate it now, just to be safe."

At that moment, Jekyll positioned his knife as the sun's glare glinted off it into Emerald's eyes. As he was about to rub them to ease the irritation, Drake shot into the sky. Emerald tried to refocus on her opponent, but she was taken a gasp as Jekyll was charging her at high speed. In her panic, she aimed the gun in her right hand at him, but he was too close. He grabbed her right hand with his left and forced her to the ground. Emerald dropped her other gun as she was pinned to the ground.

As she looked up at him, she noticed he seemed different. His hair was more disheveled and his glasses were off. The look in her eye spoken on a madness Emerald had never seen before. He reeled back his right hand with the knife held backward now, "Die." He whispered in an almost different voice to before as just when he was about to plunge the blade into Emerald's skull. However, he stopped himself only a centimeter from hitting her. Emerald's breathing was heavy as she looked at him, "Well, I think I have won here." Jekyll said in a calm voice, "Sorry about that, I tend to lose a bit of control in when I use my Noble Phantasm." He said as he got up.

"A little control!?" Emerald said as she got up, "You were like a whole different person!? And you said 'Die.' right before you could have killed me."

"Sorry, Hyde can get a little overzealous if I don't keep him in check," Jekyll responded.

"Hyde?" Emerald commented, "He has a name?"

Before Jekyll could answer, Neo tapped on his right shoulder. He turned to see the pint-sized girl offering him his glasses, "Thank you Neopolitan." The muti-persona assassin said as he took the glasses, "I must have dropped them." He said with a smile for putting them back on. Neo looked back at him with a similar smile.

Emerald watched the two with confusion before going over to pick up her weapons, "I see what she meant now." She thought to herself as she picked up her guns, "But that just means they are both crazy."

"That's it, the home team wins this little exhibition match." Drake said before putting her right hand in her chin, "I guess the two guys could fight for a chance at a tie. If you can't go for number one, I don't see the point." She then put her hands on her hips, "Okay, now for part two of our lessons for today," the female pioneer said before looking to see the sun, "We still have plenty of daylight, so let's get more supplies to build camp the night."

"Wait, we aren't heading back to the academy?" Emerald commented.

"Nope, I have you eight for a couple of days. I need it, so I teach you what really matters." Drake said while Jekyll and Neo started pilling the wood for the fire. Kiyohime waved her fan once, creating a flame that hit the pile of wood in the pit. The fire glowed in with a somewhat blue light as it appeared it could stay lit forever. Frankenstein picked up the rest of the wood, piling it away from the firepit.

"And what's that?" The green haired assassin asked.

"Easy," Drake said with a smile, "How to enjoy life to the fullest." The female pioneer said as Emerald looked to her in skepticism, "In my classes, you have to be ready to appreciate the world around you. That means you have to do some camping every now and then."

Emerald sighed as Drake walked away, "I never thought I would have to be doing this when Cinder picked me for the mission."

 **AN: there you go, I few quick fights and the intro of Drake as a teacher. I wanted her to be a lot more laid back and cool in this role, having her teach as a way of seeing the potential in others and wanting them to appreciate life. She is also fun and a good unit in Fate GO. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8 - Enthusiasm

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. You get a little bit of everything in this one: new characters introduced, some backstory, lore building, character development and hinting at what's to come next time. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 8 – Enthusiasm**

 _Glynda._

The female professor form Beacon made her way to the south entrance of Chaldea Academy. As she scanned the outside perimeter, she saw the two stone golems guarding the entrance gate. She continued to look for the headmaster, seeing someone waiting against the right-side wall. His appearance matched that of the one from the book Glynda showed the blue-haired lancer before. However, he was looking down at the time of an open pocket watch, "Headmaster Zhuge Liang." Glynda called to gain the attention of the headmaster of Chaldea, "Forgive me for interrupting, I am Glynda Goodwitch from Beacon Academy." She said as she walked over to extend her right hand.

"A pleasure to meet you in person, Professor Goodwitch." Zhuge Liang said as he put his pocket watch away and shook her hand, "I am the one who should be apologizing for not greeting you upon your arrival. I trust Jeanne was able to help you and your students adjust to our academies rules."

"She was most helpful, you seem to have taught these students well," Glynda commented as she let go of his hand.

"It is the professors that teach the students here." Zhuge Liang commented, "I am the one who monitors the professors to make sure they are doing their due diligence." He then turned to the sky, sighing before continuing, "One of whom is arriving late from a mission I sent him on."

Glynda looked to the sky to see something in the far distance approaching. As she tried to focus in on the object, the roar resembling that of a beast echoed from the same direction. Assuming it was a Grimm, the female professor form Beacon took out her weapon. "HELLO WAVER!" A manly voice called from the approaching creature, causing Glynda to have a look of confusion.

Zhuge Liang sighed before turning to Glynda, "You can retract your weapon." He said with Glynda putting her riding crop away. The distance object became clear. It was a large, muscular man with messy short red hair. He wore armor adorn with gold and red fabrics, as well as a large red cape with a frilled collar. His vehicle upon arrival was a chariot, with the creature pulling it were two bulls. However, Glynda noticed the animal's eyes glowed with a familiar red light.

"I have returned from my mission." The large man said with a smile, "I have conquered another section of the south side of the region." He then turned to see Glynda, who still had a look of astonishment, "Oh, I did not mean to interrupt your conversation with this lady friend."

"Iskandar," Zhuge Liang said in an irritated voice, "This is Glynda Goodwitch, the professor from Beacon who brought over some her students as part of the exchange program."

"Exchange program?" Iskandar commented, "Why is this the first I have heard of such a thing?" Before the headmaster could reply, Iskandar continued, but his expression changed from disarray to excitement, "No matter, if there are new students to teach in the ways of Kingship and Conquest. I, King of Conquers, shall show them a grand time at this Academy." He declared as Glynda was still speechless. The King of Conquers turned to her with a smile, "And you, I welcome on behalf of all the professors and students at this academy."

"I…Thank you-" Glynda said as she cleared her throat. However, Iskandar jumped off his chariot and hugged the female professor form Beacon. She lost her breath for a second as she almost felt her back break.

The King of Conquers let go of the professor, causing her to stagger for a bit. He turned back to Zhuge Liang, "Now Weaver, what is it you wish for me to do next?"

"You are to prepare for a class with a few of Glynda's students." The headmaster responded, "Your class is not scheduled for a few days, but I would encourage you to introduce yourself to them beforehand. I have already sent the class list to your scroll"

"Got it," Iskandar said as a big smile formed on his face, "I will make sure it is a class they will cherish for a lifetime." He then jumped back onto his chariot, grabbing the rains, "My first tasking to head to my friend in the market for the perfect drinks for the occasion." The King of Conquers declared before pulling on the rains. The bulls growled before the chariot turned around, heading towards the town.

Glynda re-caught her breath as she walked over to Zhuge Liang, "He meant non-alcoholic drinks, right?"

"I hope so." The headmaster responded, "I trust you have more questions?"

"Several," Glynda said as she dusted herself off, "With regards to that teacher, who is he? Beyond what I gathered from his declaration."

"Iskandar was my teammate back when I was a student. He and I go far back when we both had dreams about who we wanted to grow up to be." Zhuge Liang said, "While I now go by Zhuge Liang, he still refers to me by my old name. He works for me as Professor and my aid on a mission to purge the land of Grimm, but he calls it his conquests for world domination."

"I take it his dream was to conquer the whole world of Remnant." Glynda guessed, "What is yours?"

"My dream is aligned with my position as a headmaster." He said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes, "To make sure these students are prepared to face their dreams and wishes."

"I see," Glynda commented as she saw him light a cigarette. He offered her one, but she declined with a head shake, "I assume Iskandar is a Rider Class, but how was his chariot able to fly? And those bulls, they could not have been normal?"

Zhuge Liang puffed his cigarette, blowing away from Glynda, "They are a product of years of testing aura implementations on Grimm lifeforms. With certain species, they can be reverted to their closest animal counterpart. However, the only aura with those who have a high affinity in with the Riding skill seems to show results."

"I remember now," Glynda interjected, "You mentioned the process in your latest book."

"I plan to give more details in my next book this year." The headmaster said before inhaling more smoke, then exhaling, "As you see, the results are very useful to our heroic spirits and their methods of travel."

"True," Glynda answered, "Now, what of the class I will be teaching?"

"Your class is scheduled to start in a week with a mix of students you brought and ones from this academy." The headmaster responded, "I trust that is enough time to develop a curriculum and get accustomed to the new setting."

"That is fine," Glynda replied, "But I believe my students directly enrolled in classes, why did you not give them time to adjust?"

"For them, I do not believe they needed the time." Zhuge Liang responded as his cigarette was no longer smokable. He pressed it against the body of the golem with the creature seeming to absorb the filter of a cigarette, "In my history, it is better to be plunged into new situations at a younger age. You develop more concrete values and a better understanding of yourself." He then turned back to the Beacon professor, "Don't you agree, Professor Goodwitch?"

"To an extent, but that may be the conflicting values of my own Academy's headmaster coming up." Glynda said before she checked the time on her tablet, "I should get going and check on some of my students." She then sighed as she quickly scanned a list of emails, "However, it looks like I will be busy with supervising them more than I thought." She said before walking away from the headmaster, who stayed outside to look at the sky.

 _Weiss._

"To be, or not to be? That is the question—" A man with orange hair and a short beard addressed a class of over two dozen students. His voice was full of emotion as he passed before his audience. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer," he wore a bright green jacket with what looked like an orange ascot, "The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," His gloves and pants were a darkish brown. He also held a large orange book, "Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,"

Amongst the class of students was the heiress and her roommate, sitting the second to last row of desks, "So, he does this every class?" Weiss asked Marie in a whisper.

"Yes, Professor Shakespeare loves to quote from his plays." The idol queen responded.

"And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep—" The playwright continued with the soliloquy, "No more—and by a sleep to say we end," Weiss looked to a couple of rows ahead, seeing her teammate Blake next to Atalanta. The cat faunus had a smile on her face as she was taking notes, a smiler book to her side as she watched Shakespeare continue, "The heartache and the thousand natural shocks,"

"It looks like your friend is really enjoying the class," Maire responded, "Does she like to read?"

"That's one way to describe Blake." Weiss said with a smile, "And the classrooms here look almost the same as the ones at Beacon."

"That flesh is heir to—'tis a consummation," Shakespeare continued, "Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep."

Weiss turned to watch the professor continue, focusing on him as she wrote in her notebook. However, she heard something odd from the desk behind her, "Come on!" A female voice said in an irritated manner. The heiress, slightly annoyed, but continued to write, "Really, I have like five of you already!" The voice declared again, causing Weiss to turn her head to the desk behind her. She saw a book propped up on the desk, hiding the student behind her, "Awe man, that was my last ticket. I guess can buy one more." Weiss gritted her teeth as she lifted the book. Sitting at the desk was a girl with long black hair. She wore a black military-like uniform with a red cape. On her desk was a military hat with a large golden decoration on the front. She sat lazily in her desk, her red eyes glued to her scroll. On the scroll was some sort of game with characters the heiress could not make out, "Okay, this time I'll pull her." She said right before she was about to press a button. However, she stopped herself to look up at the heiress, "Uhhhh."

"You're making a lot of noise." Weiss said with a cold look, "Can you quiet down?"

"One second," The girl said before she pressed the button on her scroll. Weiss had a look of disbelief at the ignorance. Suddenly, a smile appeared on the red-eyed girl's face, "Finally, I got her!" She said in a slightly louder voice, "Now, I need to get another one to limit break this one."

"What is wrong with you!" Weiss yelled, "You are making it hard to concentrate!" She glared down at the red-eyed girl. Suddenly, the heiress felt an awkward silence fall over the area. She turned to see Marie looking at her in slight shock. In the rows over, Blake had an irritated look on her face. In front of the class, Shakespeare had a look of annoyance as he looked to the heiress.

"When learning that one of the Schnee family would be in my class, I made it a point to put on my best performance." He said before a somewhat sinister smile on her face, "But it seems, I have I have been intruded upon."

"I'm sorry," Weiss said before pointing back at the red-eyed girl, "But I couldn't concentrate with her in this class playing some dumb game."

"Hey, I was minding my own business when you interrupted me!" The red-eyed girl said as she stood up, "And I have a name, you know!" She put on her hat and had a smile on her face, "I'm Oda Nobunaga, The Grimm Archer of Chaldea Academy." She then took her scroll and put it in her pocket, "And the game's not dumb, just a little unfair with the drop rates." Weiss glared at the Grimm Archer, creating sparks of rage between the two.

"Well, since neither of you was focused on the rest of the soliloquy," Willian Shakespeare said as he walked over to a podium nearby, "How about the two of you entertain the class with a little fight choreography? Adding a little action to this drama."

"Gladly," Weiss said with determination as she walked down the front of the classroom. Maire wanted to speak up but only sighed as she watched the heiress get to the front of the class.

"This will be a short lesson," Nobu said as followed the heiress.

"Before you two begin, you should declare the stakes of the fight." The playwright said as he took a relaxed pose against the podium, "What does the winner get upon victory, that always builds more to a scene like this."

"If I win, this girl must delete that dumb app," Wiess said as she pulled out her rapier, pointing it at the Grimm Archer.

"You monster," Nobu said before she contemplated her terms. Suddenly, she had an idea, "If you're a Schnee, you must have a much on money to spend from your daddy." Her comment caused the heiress gaze to become angrier, "So, if I win, you owe me a few pulls for the app you hate." The red-eyed girl said as she unsheathed a sword from her side. She plunged the blade into the ground in front of her with both hands still on the end of the handle, "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal." Weiss said as she readied her weapon, "Don't blame me if you end up injured fighting me."

"I not sure what will be hurting more after this," Nobu said with a slight chuckle, "Your head or your wallet."

"Now that the terms have been met," William as he opened his book, "Let the battle begin!"

Upon the professor's permission, Weiss focused as she lunged towards her opponent. The heiress attempted to stab the Grimm Archer in the chest. However, Nobu pulled out her sword from the ground and blocked the attack. The two blades grinded against each other as both fighters stood their ground. Nobu pushed back Weiss and commenced a fury a sword strikes. Weiss parried each hit as she backed up.

"What's wrong, am I too much for you!" Nobu said as she continued the offensive.

"I'm more confused anyone that someone calls themselves an archer when they use a sword," Weiss said as she continued to block, "What are you going to go do, throw it at me?"

"Wrong Archer?" Nobu said as Weiss realized she was pushed against a wall. The red-eyed girl attempted a strike at the heiress' chest.

However, Weiss jumped into the air. She created a black glyph platform to stand on as Nobu's sword embedded into the wall. The Grimm Archer tried to pull it out, but it was in too deep. She looked up to Weiss try a horizontal slash. Nobu let go of her sword to jumped back, avoiding the slash. She gritted her teeth as Weiss jumped down from the glyph onto the floor.

"You can't win now that I have disarmed you." Weiss as she pointed her rapier at Nobu. However, the Grimm Archer started to laugh hysterically, "What's so funny?"

"You haven't really disarmed me. I have access to over three thousand rotary matchlock rifles of destructive power." Nobu said as she cracked her knuckles, a sinister grin on her face forming.

"…What?" Weiss asked.

At that moment, Nobu reached to her left and right. In the palm of each hand appeared a matchlock rifle in bright red light. The heiress had a look of shock as Nobu aimed the rifles at her, "I also have guns." The Grimm Archer said before opening fire. The ammunition of the rifles was bright red energy. The second shot went off a couple of seconds after the first.

Weiss dove out of the way from the shots. As Weiss was about to charge at the Grimm Archer, Nobu threw the rifles behind her back and new rifles formed in her hands. The heiress stabbed the ground with her rapier before the second volley of shots could start. A white glyph formed in the ground, creating a wall of ice between her and the Grimm Archer. The defense held the first two attacks, but Nobu kept creating more guns after discarding those already fired.

"It looks like the situation has become dire for the Schnee heiress." William Shakespeare said as he took out a pen and started to write in his book, "This gives me some inspiration."

Weiss gritted her teeth as she tried to think of a plan. She looked over to see the metal boot Nobu's wore. "Come on, stop hiding." The red-eyed girl said as she continued to fire. Suddenly, Nobu noticed a white glyph appear at her feet. The glyph exploded, launching her straight into the air. Weiss looked at her opponent and lunged in the air towards her. Weiss primed her weapon to hit Nobu. However, the Grimm Archer saw her opponent coming. Nobu blocked Weiss' rapier with her two rifles, causing Weiss the vault over her opponent.

The two descended, landing on their feet at the same time. Both were a few feet away from the other, standing back-to-back. Nobu formed a new rifle as Weiss tightened her grip on her rapier. They both turned to aim their weapon at one another. Right before either could lock on to their enemy, the playwright clapped his hands. "That's all the time we have for today," William Shakespeare interrupted, causing both girls to lose balance from the sudden stop, "Class is now over, meaning you both lose the match."

"What?" Weiss commented.

"But I had her right where I wanted her!" Nobu added on.

"No, you didn't" Weiss angrily replied.

"Tis a tragedy, I know." The playwright responded, "And since you two made a mess of the classroom, I trust you two will stay back to clean up." The rest of the class got up and started to walk out of the room. William Shakespeare closed his book before exiting, "Next time, do your best to pay attention in class."

"That's not fair!" Weiss and Nobu said at the same time, causing both the glare at one another in a rage. They then quickly looked away from one another with a scoff. Marie, Blake, and Atalanta walked over to the heiress as the Grimm Archer walked over to pull her sword out of the wall, "I'll catch up with you later." Wiess said with a tired voice.

"It's okay," Marie said in a sincere voice, "Don't worry about your weapon registration. We can do it after you're done here" The heiress nodded as the other three walked out of the classroom. After getting a foot away, the idol queen turned to Blake, "Does she have a habit of doing that in classes?" Marie whispered.

"She can be easily annoyed; you can ask almost anyone that and they would agree. Especially Ruby," Blake said before she looked back at Weiss in the room. In the corner of her eye, she saw Nobu, causing her to stare for a while in pondering at the Grimm Archer.

Atalanta walked over to tap her roommate on the shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just…" Blake said as she turned back to the lioness faunus, "Sorry, though I saw something." She said before the group left Weiss and Nobu to clean up their mess.

 _Ruby._

Astolfo led Ruby to a room full of control panels and light blue flashing lights. At the end of the Room was Dr. Roman, who waved to the two. The svelte paladin responded in kind. However, the silver-eyed girl still hung her head low as she walked. "Are you okay Ruby?" The doctor asked.

"I'm fine," Ruby said as she lifted her head, but her expression did not match her answer.

Astolfo had a look of worry as he looked at Ruby. He quickly put a smile on his face, "Cheer up, we just need to register your weapon and you get to have your first class."

"The process shouldn't take long," Roman said he looked past to doorway, expecting someone, "But, where are Yang and Mordred? I thought they were a part of your group as well."

"They said they would catch up," Astolfo responded, "So, let's not waste time and show Ruby something cool."

Dr. Roman smiled before nodding as he led the two students to two large, cylindrical machines. Ruby had a questioning look on her face as she turned to the doctor. "It's okay, the process won't hurt at all. It's like when you got your class card." He said before walking over to a desk with a computer in front of it. As he started typing, the machines opened. The appeared empty, allowing enough room to fit a person. "Just put your weapon in one scanner and step into the other."

"Uhh…Okay," Ruby said in an unsure voice as she took out her Crescent Rose, placing it in the right-side scanner. She is walking into the left-side one, seeing Astolfo on the outside. He winked at her right before the scanner doors closed.

Inside the scanner, the whole area was illuminated with blue light, "You may want to close your eyes for about thirty seconds." Dr. Roman said with Ruby complying instantly. Suddenly, a pulsating sound was heard from the inside of the machine. Ruby wanted to peek, but keep her eyes closed.

After the allowed time had passed, the scanner doors opened. Ruby walked out, opening her eyes, and looking at her hands. She scanned them for any missing fingers, quickly patting herself down. She felt relieved as she turned to Dr. Roman, "That's it?"

"Yep," He responded, "Why don't you take out your weapon?" Ruby nodded before she walked over to the other scanner. The doors were already open, but her Crescent Rose was nowhere to be seen. The silver-eyed girl turned to Astolfo in a slight panic.

"Not that way," Astolfo said with a smile, "You can call your Noble Phantasm at any time. You just must call it from inside your soul. You know, believe in the connection you have with your weapon." Astolfo said with Ruby looking back at her hands, her silver-eyes full of determination, "It may take a while to get a hold of, but it's cool when you-" He was saying until a burst of reddish energy formed in Ruby's hands. The energy formed the shape of the silver-eyed girl's scythe. The energy flashed, leaving the weapon in her hands and a few rose petals falling onto the ground, "Amazing! You did that almost like it was second nature." Astolfo said in joy, but he still wondered where the rose petals came from.

"This is really cool!" Ruby said as she checked her weapon, examining all the mechanisms and parts, "I just thought about it and it just appeared. This is much faster than my locker was."

"I'm glad it all worked out," Dr. Roman said as he continued typing, "I already went through the process with a few other of the students, but you're the one who got this down path right away." His comment caused Ruby blushed a bit as she scratched the back of her head.

At that moment, Yang and Mordred caught up with the two. "Yo," Yang said as she entered the room. Her sister ran over to the blond berserker, however, she stopped herself upon seeing the prideful knight. The silver-eyed girl had a look of worry while Mordred walked over to her.

"Hey Ruby," Mordred said as she screeched the back of her head, "Look, I'm really sorry about before. I didn't mean to speak to you like that about your dream." She said with a sincere voice, causing Ruby to have a calming look on her face.

"It's okay, apology accepted." Ruby said with a smile, "I hope we can be friends now."

"Yeah," Mordred said with a sincere chuckle, "I'd like that." Her comment caused Yang to smile with pride at the two.

"Okay Yang," Astolfo said as he walked over to the blond berserker, "You just need to register your weapons really quick and we head over to a class." The svelte paladin then noticed the Yang's clothes were slightly dirty and ruffed up, "Did something happen."

"Nope." Yang said with a smile, "So, do you know what our professor is like?"

"He's a bit wild at times, but he's also new to this teaching thing." Astolfo said as he crossed his arms, "But his colleague is a lot more focused, but her teaching is a bit more hardcore."

"Well," Yang said before she cracked her knuckles, "I can't wait to meet them."

 **AN: There you go, you see a lot more Fate characters here. Iskandar is still king of conquers and getting ready for a big lesson. I also like the idea of Blake loving Shakespeare's class, since the main thing I like to have about her character is her love of reading). Nobu is here and I am excited to write more about her, (If you haven't read Fate GUDAGUDA, I recommend it for its hilarity. Also, I changed her title from Demon Archer to Grimm Archer to fit the context of this world). Next chapter is more with Ruby and her first lesson at Chaldea and introducing my favorite non-servant character in the fate series. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9 - Outclassed

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and comment on the story, they really mean a lot to me and are much appreciated. This one is a bit longer with a couple new character introductions and allusions to other characters in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 9 – Outclassed**

 _Cinder._

Outside of the door to a female restroom in the middle of a hallway, Archer leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His eyes were closed until heard the door opening. Walking out was Cinder, whose outfit changed from her dress to a more combat-fitting attire. Her pants were dark-brown, and she wore a lightish green vest. She also had on fingerless gloves and a protective pad over her right shoulder. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, but one of her eyes still covered by her bangs. "You know you could have just worn that from the start." Archer said after sighing, "This is just a waste of time."

"What can I say, I like to accessorize. Besides, I thought you were used to being around beautiful girls." Cinder said with a slight smile, while Archer raise an eyebrow, "Your old partners. That one girl who acclaimed for her beauty in this region. While the other girl was quite bewitching herself." Her comment caused Archer to change his look at her to slight scorn, "What? You didn't think I wouldn't come across them when digging up information on you. The three of you were very close."

"Then you should know I don't want to talk about them," Archer said as he started to walk away, "I would rather you not bring them up again. Or else you can forget about our little agreement."

"Fine, I just wanted to make small talk." Cinder said as she followed the silver-haired man.

The two continued down the hallway until it led to the outside. Upon exiting, the two found themselves in front of a medium size decorated stone building surrounded by a garden. On the top of the building was a large wooden cross, "What is this?" Cinder asked in confusion.

Archer turned to her in slight befuddlement, "It's a church. I guess you're not used to seeing them where you're from." He said before sitting on a nearby bench, "I'm going to wait here while you go talk to him."

"Him?" Cinder asked, "You are not accompanying me?"

"No, this guy and I don't get along for many reasons." Archer said before leaning back and closing his eyes, "Besides, he asked for you only. Saying he wanted it to be a personal welcome." Cinder looked to the door of the establishment with wary eyes. She walked to the door, when Archer opened his eyes, "Hey, be careful what you say to him." He said with Cinder looking back to him with a smile.

The black-haired archer entered the cathedral. Upon opening the door, the sun glared through the painted glass mural on the opposite wall. She quickly scanned the room to look for someone, but each of the pews was empty. As she walked more into the church, she saw a younger man in black kneeling before the offering table. He wore a red cape and had whitish hair. Once Cinder was a few feet away, the man slowly raised his head and began to stand up, "So you have finally arrived." The man said as he turned around, Cinder was taken at slight gasp at the familiarity of his facial features and fair skin. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Shiro Kotomine." He said with a smile.

"Shiro?" Cinder said while glancing back at the closed door.

"I understand your confusion, but it is a mere coincident." he said with a slight giggle, "If it helps, you may refer to me as Amakusa. You may meet a person named Kotomine down the line, so this will satisfy both ends of the spectrum."

"Fair enough, Amakusa." Cinder said as she noticed the gold cross neckless before making eye contact, "Now, you wanted to talk to me."

Amakusa extended his arms as he seemed to be bathed in the sunlight, "On behalf of the church, I wish to welcome you to Apocrypha." He then moved his right arm, placing it across his chest and he slightly bowed, "As a Ruler class, I am responsible for overseeing the church activities and enlightening new students to the proper path."

Cinder crossed her arms as she glared at him, "We already meet with one of a similar class. Jeanne was her name." Upon saying that name, Cinder saw Amakusa eyes focus for a second, "And if this is meant to be welcome for new students, why are the others not here."

"She is not closely tied to the church as I am, focusing more on the entire school." Amakusa said before lowering his right hand, "As to why I wanted to talk with you personally. I wanted to learn about your intentions."

"My intentions?" Cinder repeated before smiling, "I'm a student simply wishing to learn."

"Even when you have the power of one of the four maidens at your disposal," Amakusa said candidly, causing Cinder's smile to fade away. A sudden line of sweat appeared on her brow as a head student of the church began to pace, "Did you really think a divine skill such as that would pass through our class identification systems undetected." He said before looking at her with a smile, "Skills of that caliber do not appear directly on the class card, they go through to the church so that we can oversee who really are entering the academy." The head student of the church looked at Cinder gritting her teeth as she tightened her fists, "Your infiltration may have worked at one of the other Academy, but not this one."

"How do you even know about the maidens in this land?" Cinder replied.

"The church knows and sees all." Amakusa said while stopping and extending his arms, "It is God's will that has guided you here and it is by his will that I learn what you wish to do here."

"I already told you," Cinder replied, "I wish to learn skill and techniques unique to people from this land."

"Really," Amakusa said as he tilted his head to the right, "And what do you intend to use those skills for?" As he was speaking, Cinder hid her left hand behind her back. The black-haired archer formed a short blade in her hand. Suddenly, the head student of the church rushed Cinder faster than she could react. In an instant, he held three long blades between his right fingers. Each pointed at to bottom of Cinder's chin. She was completely still as Amakusa smiled at her, "Was your intention to conquer this kingdom, or maybe one of the weaker ones with your powers? Because if so, it is my duty to strike you down here and avoid any unnecessary bloodshed."

"How did you-" Cinder said as she looked at his eyes, which were focused on hers, "No, I simply want power for the sake of acquiring what I believe I am entitled to."

"A gluttonies and selfish response." He responded before lowering the blades, "However, it is not worth my intervention on this issue." The blades in Amakusa's hand vanished as Cinder held her right hand to her chin, "You do not need to worry about me telling your secret to anyone else. The church is a place on confidentiality." He then threw what was in his right hand towards Cinder. The black-haired archer caught what looked like small links of redwood, "Those are called Black Keys. They can be much more effective than your dust created blades." He said as Cinder look glanced back at her dust weapon behind her back, deconstructing it, "Consider those a welcoming gift."

"Thank you," Cinder replied as she placed the weapons in her pocket. He voice was less confident now as she looked at Amakusa walk away.

"You are welcome," Amakusa said as he turned around, his eyes closed and a slight smile, "I do hope you enjoy your stay here and will visit the church again." Cinder did not respond as she backed away from the head student of the church. She opened the door to exit the cathedral as Amakusa kneeled before the offering table.

As Cinder walked out, Archer looked to her without standing up, "So, that's how the church work here."

"That guy," Cinder said as the door closed, "He was-"

"I know," Archer interrupted as he stood up, "Look, there are some students here that hold more power than professors. If you don't want them on your back, you best not do anything rash while at your stay here."

"I will learn that technique," Cinder said as she walked over o him, her eyes narrowed as she glared at him, "No matter what, I won't let anything stand in the way of what I entitled to."

Archer sighed as before smiling, "Well, stubbornness is something I know all about." He then started to walk back towards the academy entrance, "We have official classes now, I wouldn't want you to be late on the first day." He said with Cinder following him. She glanced back at the church for a second before looking away.

 _Ruby._

Astolfo leads her roommate, Yang, and Mordred to one of the indoor training arenas with an open skyline. As they walked, the beacon students noticed two individuals in the center arena. One was the blue-haired lancer, wearing a skintight blue attire with steel shoulder guards. Next to him was a woman in a black business suit. She had dark magenta hair and the same earrings as Cu Chulainn. On her back was a cylindrical container. Both turned to see the approaching students, the blue-haired lancer smiled while the woman had a stern expression.

"The four of you are late." The woman said as she crossed her arms.

"Come on Bazett" Cu Chulainn commented, "For their first day, we can give them a little break."

"Sorry about that," Astolfo said as he scratched the back of his head, "We got a little lost on our way here. I forget how big this Academy is sometimes." He then stood out of the way pointing to the two sisters, "But, we got your new students here unharmed."

"I see," Cu Chulainn said as he smiled at the silver eyed girl, "You must be Ruby Rose." He said before turning to the blond berserker, "And you are Yang Xiao Long, correct?" he asked with her responded being a slight nod, "Great, I'm Cu Chulainn." He said as he pointed to himself, then turning to the woman next to him, "And this is Bazett Fraga McRemitz, one of the academy's professional huntresses for special operations."

"That's enough for introductions, we should get started with our lesson." Bazett said as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a pair of black leather gloves, "This will be a two-on-two fight, us against your roommates."

"Uhh, are you sure it can't be us going against our roommates?" Astolfo replied with slight worry in his voice, "I'm we don't want to burden you two."

Bazett put on her gloves as she glared at the group, "No, I can better gauge their limitations myself." She adjusted her gloves as she turned to Mordred and Astolfo, "You'll have one minute to advice your roommates before we begin." She then walked away as Cu Chulainn followed her.

"Well, she seems intense." Ruby commented, "Do you have any advice? Anything we should know?"

"Oh, she is going to beat the crap out of you two." Mordred commented, "Her close quarters' combat ability is almost unmatched here." The prideful knight said as she looked back at the two professors talking to one another, "And the guy can be a bit of a wild card at times, you need to watch out for his lance."

"In short, do your best not to get hit and you'll be fine." Astolfo said as he smiled, "But don't worry, medical at this academy is really good. I mean, they had to be. So many students went there with so many broken bones." The Svelte paladin said before realizing what he just said, "Forget that last part, you'll do fine."

"That's time!" Bazett called out to the students, prompting Mordred and Astolfo to walk away. The two sisters look to each other in slight worry before Yang was the first to smile.

In the arena stands, Mordred and Astolfo sat next to each other in the front row, "So, how do you think they'll do?" The svelte paladin said as he relaxed in the seat, "I mean, I guess you already got a sense of how strong your roommate is."

Mordred had a slight smile as she crossed her arms, "Well, Yang can take a hit." However, the smile slowly started to fade as she looked over to her roommate's opponents, "Now if she can take a hit form her is the question." She then turned to Astolfo, "I mean, I know how much trouble she is. She is a profession after all. That Lancer, not so much. I remember him always having that one trait that held him back."

"Alright Ladies," Cu Chulainn said as he extended his right arm, "Time for your first lesson." Suddenly, a burst of reddish aura formed a horizontal line. Once he grabbed the aura, a red metallic spear formed in the palm of his right hand. Right after, Ruby created her Crescent Rose and Yang hit her fist together, forming her gauntlets in the fire.

"Bring it!" Yang said before Bazett started to rush towards the two sisters. Ruby changed her scythe into its sniper form as she opened fire on them. After firing three shots, Bazett blocked each hit with her gloves. Ruby stopped her ineffective shooting as Yang rushed towards Bazett. The blond berserker reeled back her right arm as Bazett did the mirror same.

The two stopped in their tracks right before unleashing the punch. The two right fists collided at the same time, but it was the professional huntress who left her opponent in a stunned state, "What?" Yang said as she took a step back. Bazett tightened her left fist and unleashed a devastating gut punch to the blond berserker. Yang flew back past her sister into the opposite wall, buried in the stone debris.

"Yang!?" Ruby called back to her sister.

"I'm fine," Yang said as she climbed out of the wreckage. She gowned as she placed her right hand on her stomach. When she looked at her hand, her eyes widened at the amount of blood. She then turned her hand to see that her knuckles were also slightly bleeding.

"So, students from Beacon still try to use the aura as a measurement of defense." Bazett said as she glared over at Ruby, "But if the offense is stronger than the defense, your aura means nothing." She then noticed Yang's wounds slowly healing as she moved her hand, "You're just promoting the fight and trying to make up for your shortcomings."

Ruby changed her Crescent Rose back to its scythe from. She reeled it back her weapon, ready to attack the professional huntress. However, she stopped herself upon realizing something. She looked back to where Cu Chulainn was, not seeing him there. The silver eyed girl scanned the arena for him but found nothing. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Ruby looked down to see blood pouring out of her left side of her chest. Fading into existence was the blade of the spear embedded into her chest. Followed by the rest of the weapon and the blue-haired lancer, "You see, another way you can use aura is to make yourself into an invisible spirit for a short time." He said before he pulled out the spear, causing Ruby to fall to one knee. She placed her left hand over her open wound as Cu Chulainn rested the spear on his right shoulder.

"You almost stabbed me in the heart," Ruby said as a bit of blood poured out of her mouth. Cu Chulainn was about to reply when he saw Yang charging him in the corner of his eye. He saw the blond berserker's right fist coming and blocked her strike with his spear. While he was pushed back from the hit, he remained unharmed.

"You two are crazy!" Yang angerly responded, her eyes red with rage. "This school really doesn't care about its students."

"We actually do." Cu Chulainn responded as he reposed his weapon, "But if you are going want to grow up to fight monsters. You need to know how to deal with much tougher opponents." Yang got ready to continue her aggression but failed to see Bazett get behind her. The professional huntress punched Yang in the right-side kidney, causing the blond berserker to yell in pain. Yang gritted her teeth as turned around, charging towards Bazett with a barrage of punches.

Ruby stood up with her weapon aimed at the blue-haired lancer. Her wound slowly was healing, but still leaking blood. She rushed towards him, swinging her scythe as she tried to look for an opening. However, Cu Chulainn parried each of her attacks with his lance. Using her high speed, the silver eyed girl got behind the blue-haired lancer. She tired a horizontal slash, but he jumped high into the air to avoid the hit. Cu Chulainn aimed his lance towards Ruby, striking downward at her. Ruby blocked the hit with her Scythe but was pushed back from the hit.

Cu Chulainn landed back on the ground, looking at Ruby with a smile, "That's a pretty impressive weapon from someone who not a Lancer Class."

"Thanks." Ruby said in a slightly winded voice, "I wish I could say the same, but it looks like a normal lance to me." Drops of blood still leaked from her wound onto the ground.

Her comment caused the blue-haired lancer to brandish his weapon, "This is no ordinary lance. This is my Noble Phantasm." His comment caused Ruby to have a slight giggle, "What's so funny?" He said with his smile fading, gripping his lance tighter, "You know, while your weapon has more creativity. My weapon has more flare." Suddenly, his weapon was set ablaze with a reddish aura. Ruby gained distance by jumping back, "Prepare yourself, Ruby Rose, this attack won't miss!" He said as the spear glowed more violently upon pulling it back, "GAE BOLG!" Cu Chulainn screamed before thrusting the spear forward, causing a red beam of energy to erupt out of the bladed end.

Ruby smiled as she quickly dodged to her left, easily avoiding the beam. She changed her scythe to its sniper form as she aimed at the blue-haired lancer. Suddenly, Ruby's eyes widened. She turned to see the red beam make a sharp left turn. Ruby held her weapon in defense of the blast, but it made little difference. The red beam pierced through her chest where her heart was, prompting her to fall to the ground.

On the other side of the arena, Yang continued to fight Bazett. The blond berserker continued to try to land a hit, but all her attempts were either blocked or parried, "Damn it!" Yang screamed as she fired a combined blast from her gauntlets. Bazett crossed her arms in a defensive stance, the fiery dust only slightly singing her sleeves on impact.

"You're too angry and unfocused." Bazett commented as she took up a fighting stance, "You can never beat anyone by fighting that way."

"Hey, it's worked for me in every other fight," Yang said before rushing her opponent, reeling back her left arm. However, Bazett slightly changed her stance as she quickly spun. The professional huntress delivered a swift spin kick with her right leg impacting Yang's stomach. The blond berserker flew backward, landing on her back with Bazett looking down on her from a distance.

"But that strategy won't work here," Bazett said as she now had her arms to her sides in a more casual stance. Suddenly, Yang's hair began to glow as she started to stand up.

A fiery aura radiated from her body as gritted her teeth in anger, "You want to bet!" Yang yelled before hitting her fist against one another.

In the seats, Mordred looked over to Yang with a slight smile, "Looks like she is getting serious now. I wonder if that is her Noble Phantasm or just that semblance thing they kept talking about." Mordred said before she turned back to the svelte paladin, "How is Ruby doing."

"Well..." Astolfo said as he saw Ruby coughing blood onto the ground, "She is having some trouble, but I have faith in her."

"You want to call it quits right now? I think you have lost enough blood to cause some delusions." Cu Chulainn said as he walked over to her with his lance resting across his shoulders, "Normally, my Gae Bolg will pierce the heart of whomever the target is. However, I must hold back its power, so I don't kill any students by mistake." He said as Ruby stood back up, her breathing heavy as she struggled to stand, "But I guess your high luck caused the hit to slightly miss."

"Well, it did damage my Crescent Rose," Ruby said as she looked down at the frame of her weapon, seeing the dented metal from the impact point. Her voice was slightly off tone as she swayed while standing up. She reached into her pocket to pull out her scroll, her eyes slightly closing due to all the blood loss, "I need to get the replacement parts, but there in my locker."

"I don't believe this," Lancer said before sighing, "You shouldn't underestimate your opponent like this. You don't know what else I'm-" He said before hearing an odd notice from above. The open skyline of the arena showed a somewhat cloudy day. The blue-haired lancer focused his gaze to something in the distance quickly approaching, "What is that?"

"Dang it." Ruby said casing Cu Chulainn to turn to her, "I mess up the landing site."

"Landing site for wha-" Cu Chulainn said before the locker landed on his head, causing him into the ground. Ruby looked up in shock as she wondered where her opponent went. She walked over to her locker, hearing a slight groan of pain from the inside. Once she entered the code to open the door, she found lancer's head sticking out the bottom of the locker. The rest of his body buried in the ground from the sheer force of the impact. Blood poured out of his head as he appeared unconscious.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Ruby said as looked down at him, she then turned to her roommate, "Do I still win?"

"Yeah, Ruby, good job," Astolfo called as he stood up.

"Man, I don't even want to imagine what having E rank Luck feels like. He should really change to a better class sometime." Mordred commented as she noticed Ruby's wobbling stance, "Ruby, I think you should stop. You've lost a lot of blood and have been running at high speeds with open wounds."

"I'm fiiiiiine." Ruby commented as she waved, dropping her weapon unintentionally. "I still need to help my sister." She said before turning to see Yang still trying to land a hit on Bazett, "I'm coming, Sis!" The silver eyed girl declared before rushing the professional huntress unarmed. Mordred and Astolfo facepalmed as they sighed.

Bazett pushed Yang away as she averted her attention to Ruby. She took one step backward and slightly extended her left leg. As Ruby ran by, she tripped over Bazett shoe and fell over her shoe. She fell to the ground face first with a loud thud. Bazett looked down at Ruby in slight concern, not seeing any movement. Suddenly, she heard Ruby grown in pain, confirming she was alive.

"Hey!" Yang called out to Bazett, regaining the professional huntress' attention, "Let's end this now in one punch." The blond berserker said before her body erupted in a fiery aura.

"You can try," Bazett responded, "I don't need to use my Noble Phantasm to end this in one more punch." Her comment caused Yang to grit her teeth in a rage. The blond berserker lunged forward, her right arm radiating a bight yellow aura. As Yang's right arm reeled back, Bazett held out her left hand, showing her palm to her opponent. Yang screamed right before colliding her fist with her opponent's palm, creating a burst of flames on impact. The shockwave cared to the wall behind Bazett, creating a large crack.

The flames passed through Bazett as held back her opponent. The left said of her jacket was scorched, but the glove almost undamaged. Yang's eyes had a look of panic as she looked at Bazett's unimpressed look on her face. The professional huntress clenched her right fist as she tightened her left palm on Yang's hand. In one swift motion, Bazett punched Yang in the back of her head. Yang's body instantly slammed into the ground, her body almost motionless. Her hair stopped glowing as Bazett let go of her hand. She then walked over to Mordred and Astolfo, "Both of you take them to the medical wing." Bazett said before walking over to the locker. She picked up the locker and tossed it aside, finding the blue-haired lancer at the bottom, "I'll take care of my co-teacher, the class is over now." Bazett said as she pulled Cu Chulainn out of the ground by his hair. She carried him away as Mordred and Astolfo walked over to their respective roommates.

"Did I win…again?" Ruby asked as she opened her eyes slightly.

"Ahhh, sure." Astolfo said as he picked up the silver eyed girl, "I'd give you an 'A' for effort."

"Come on," Mordred said as she helped up Yang, "I did warn you."

"Owwww," Yang said as she opened her eyes, a line of blood running from the top of her head ran down her right eye, "I think I have a concussion."

"Yeah, that happens in a lot of her classes." Mordred commented as she carried her roommate over her right shoulder, "Her goal is to teach students how dangerous some opponents can be, but she doesn't know when to hold back at times."

"Well, I think I just need some rest." Yang said as her eyes slowly closed, "Sorry… Mordred."

"It's okay." Mordred said with a smile, "At least this gets me out of classes also."

 **AN: Lancer died! Sorry, I had to say it. (He is not dead, just in a large amount of pain). So, to somewhat celebrate Fate/ Apocrypha on Netflix, I wanted to introduce Shiro Kotomine earlier than I wanted to. As far as Lancer Vs. Ruby, that fight really came down to more about Luck than Skill. I love introducing Bazett now, she is my favorite none servant fate character next to Shishigou, (who I also want to have in this story). I like her because she does not care who or what you are, she will beat you up if that is her mission. That is so cool to me and makes her so powerful. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10 - Reconvening

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and for checking out the story. This chapter has a couple more introduction of some cool characters. It also foreshadows some other characters in the future. This is a bit of a short chapter, so I promise to make the next one a little longer to make up for it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 10 – Reconvening**

At around noon, four of the students from Beacon gathered at an outside table in the courtyard from there early morning meeting. Pyrrha, Jaune, Ruby, and Yang all sat with a look of exhaustion mixed with slight dread. Their roommates had left them for a while to attend other classes. The blond berserker held a plastic bag of ice on her head with her left hand. While her sister had a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of her. Pyrrha watched as the silver eyed girl ate the cookies one at a time. Her leader was looking flipping through a large stake of musical notes sheet, "I cannot believe that Professor Mozart assigned all this music interstation and analysis. Then, asked to compose a song within the week." He then placed the stake of papers down and sighed, "How am I going to write a song when I didn't pack my guitar?" He asked the three, but none gave a response, there was only dead silence, "Hello?"

"Oh, sorry." Pyrrha said as she just acknowledged her leader, "My mind was somewhere else."

"You got your ass kicked by a professor at this academy too?" Yang asked in a tired voice.

"Uh no," The red-haired warrior responded, her voice displaying a hint of irritation, "He was a student. The people here are on a whole different level."

"Yeah," Ruby said before she finished eating a cookie, "They're doing the thing with aura and semblances I have never seen before."

"We know," Jaune added as Ruby started to drink her milk, "The guy Pyrrha fought, he had the ability to summon an arsenal of gold weapon out of portals with his mind." At the end of his sentence, Ruby spit out the milk in shook. The fluids sprayed into Jaune's face, changing his expression to slight annoyance.

"Sorry," Ruby said with an innocent smile, "But, that's amazing! Who was that guy?"

"He called himself Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes." Pyrrha said to Ruby as she gave Jaune a napkin to dry his face, "He's abilities are notable, but his personality is about as refined as a lump of coal."

"I don't know, I ran into him a while. He seemed pretty cool, in a smug handsome guy kind of way." Yang said with a smile as she placed the bag of ice on the table, "Plus, if he had gold weapons, he might even be richer than Weiss." A few seconds after fining her sentence, she heard the heiress yelling at someone, "Speak of the Ice Queen."

"Why are you still following me!?" Weiss said as she entered the courtyard, following her was Nobu. Both the girls had a look of anger at the other.

"I'm not following you!" The Grimm archer responded, "I'm just waiting for you to give me the money I won in that fight."

"You didn't win the fight, the teacher ended it in a draw!" Weiss responded, "And I was the one winning before he called the match, so I win."

"That doesn't make sense. Give me my money already." Nobu responded, causing Weiss to sigh in anger. The Weiss then pulled up an empty seat next to her team leader. Nobu sat at a table near the group, glaring at the heiress with intensity.

"So," Yang said as Weiss crossed her arms, "You made a new friend?" Weiss responded to the blond berserker with an enraged glare, "She seems nice."

Ruby turned to Nobu and offered her the plate of cookies, "You want one?" The silver eyed girls said.

"Oh, Thanks," Nobu said with a smile as she reached for the plate with her right hand. As she grabbed one cookie, her hand quickly scooped all the remained cookies on the plate in one swift motion. She then quickly started to eat the cookies on by one as Ruby looked to the plate in sadness. Nobu then resumed her focus on Wiess.

"So, how's your day been, Weiss?" Jaune asked as Ruby put her plate back on the table.

"Well, I had a certain problem during class." Weiss said with Nobu slicking her tongue out at the heiress, "After I got my weapon registered, I learned that Blake has a class now with her roommate near the forest. Also, Maria wants to introduce me to a few of her friends in a little bit."

"Our schedules are pretty packed also. Our teacher has us going on a horse ride to exterminate approaching Grimm from the east." Pyrrha responded, "Apparently, Nora and Ren got put on some field trip with their professor. They won't be back for a few days. This school really lets the teacher take their students outside the academy grounds."

"You two are lucky, Mordred says I have another class pretty soon." Yang responded, she then looked at the bag of ice on the table, "I just hope it's not another combat class."

"Well, Astolfo said he would show me around town." Ruby added on, "I don't actually have another class today." She then glanced back at Nobu, who was still focused on Weiss. The silver eyed girl then leaned over to the heiress and whispered, "Does she have any other classes?"

Wiess sighed before standing up. She turned to Nobu with a look of anger, "Look, do you want to settle this now. I'll give you a rematch if you leave me alone."

"Fine, it's double or nothing." Nobu said as she stood up, cracking her knuckles, "I'm going to get so many summons out this." The demon archer then created over a dozen of her rifles, each hovering over her head.

"Wow," Ruby said as her eyes filled with glee, "Those rifles look so cool!"

"Thanks" Nobu responded as Weiss created her rapier in her left hand. The heiress and the Grimm archer glared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Hey, Nobu!" A female voice called out the girl from afar. The group turned to see a girl wearing a light pink kimono with a magenta lower half. Her hair was a short blond with a pinkish hue and an ahoge, "Where have you been!?" She said as she walked over to the group.

"Who's she?" Yang asked, "And why does she look kind of familiar?"

"Yo," Nobu said with a smile.

"Don't 'Yo' me. Where have you been?" the girl said, "You said we would meet after you finished Shakespeare's class." She then looked over to the other students with a look of confusion, "Who are they?"

"We're some of the new students form the transfer program." Pyrrha responded for the group, "Who are you?"

"My apologies," The girl said as she had a slight smile, "I am Okita Souji, but some people call me Sakura Saber. I'm Nobu's friend and roommate." She said while grabbing the back of Nobu's neck. Okita bowed slightly as she forced Nobu to do the same motion, causing the Grimm archer's rifles to disappear in the lack of concertation, "I apologize for Nobu causing you any trouble. I will try to keep a better eye on her." Sakura Saber then grabbed Nobu's red cape and began to pull her away, "Let's go Nobu."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Nobu responded as she flailed around, "I was about to win so much money."

"No, you weren't!" Weiss called out to the Grimm archer before disappearing her weapon.

"This isn't over you…" Nobu said as she was being dragged around the corner, "Ice Queen!" she said right before she was out of sight of the group.

Weiss turned to sit back down with the group. An awkward silence came over the group. "Why does everyone call me that?" Weiss said as she broke the silence, however, nobody else had a response.

 _Blake._

Atalanta and Blake were on the outside the kingdom near the forest. The sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves in the trees. They approached a man with long, light brown hair. He wore a thin set of leather armor and had a calming smile on his face. As the cat faunus walked over to him she noticed her teacher had what looked horses tail, "You must be Professor Chiron." Blake said, "I heard you are the best Faunus Teacher in the whole kingdom."

"I am," He replied, "You're Blake Belladonna Form Beacon Academy." Chiron then slightly bowed his head forward as he put his right arm across his chest, "It is a pleasure to meet you." He then looked over to the lioness faunus, "Atalanta, have you taken Blake to get her weapon registered as a Noble Phantasm yet?"

"I have," Atalanta responded as she looked over the area. Her expression showed slight annoyance as she looked for something, "I heard he would be here also, is he?"

"He is," Chiron responded, "He simply is taking a break for a moment." He then looked back a Blake, "Would you mind showing me your weapon?" Blake nodded as she raised her left hand. In a flash of purplish light, her weapon in its sheath from in her left hand. she then grabbed the handle of her blade, unsheathing it from the scabbard. The cat faunus dual wielded the large bladed sheath and thin-bladed sword, "I see, those weapons fit someone in the Assassin class." Chiron said as he looked at the sword, "It appears that weapon can be transformed further."

"It can," Blake said as she adjusted her grip on the sword, changing its form to that of a pistol. The gun form did not stay for long as Blake adjusted her grip to change the weapon to a more kusarigama mode. The black ribbon on the handle wrapped around her right hand, "I wanted something that was versatile in combat."

"Impressive choices, each one allows you to handle yourself at close range combat," Chiron responded, "However, you don't seem prepared to deal with close-range encounters as much as you think."

"What do you mean?" Blake said as she lowered her weapons.

Chiron smiled as he raised his right hand, keeping it vertical and in an open palm. His left arm remained limp to his side, "Would you allow me to teach you?" He asked. Blake had a look of worry for a second before nodding.

Atalanta walked off to stand next to a nearby tree. As she was ready to observe the fight, she heard something fall near her right side. Looking at the ground, she discovered it was a red apple. A look of confusion befell her as she knew the nearby tree didn't bear much fruit. As she looked up, she noticed a young man with spiked dirty blondish hair standing on a thick branch. He wore thin metal armor with a black outfit underneath. He also had a long red scarf that draped around his body like a cape, "Hey Sis," the young man said with a smile. However, Atalanta sighed as she picked up the apple.

"I told you to stop calling me that." The lioness faunus said as rubbed the dirt off the apple, "What do you want Achilles?"

"What I want is for you to tell me about your new friend of over there." Achilles said as he pointed over to Blake, "Is she one of those new transfer students form that other kingdom?"

"She is, her name is Blake Belladonna," Atalanta said before biting into the apple.

"Belladonna, a pretty name for a pretty face." The young hero said with an intrigued smile, "Tell me, is she seeing anyone?"

"She has been here one-day you pig," Atalanta said after swallowing a piece of the apple, "Give her some time to settle in before you start hitting on her." the lioness faunus glared up at him, "I can tell you from experience, your arrogant nature won't work on her."

"But it's what makes me so charming," Achilles said with a smile as Atalanta sighed again, "Are you jealous I think someone is prettier than you?"

His comment caused Atalanta to choke on her apple for a second, "What is that supposed to imply?" She said as she tried to clear her throat, "I'm not jealous, you can hit on her all you want. It's her choice in the end."

"That's all I needed to hear," Achilles said with a smile as he watched Blake and Chiron's match about to begin, "Now, let's see if she had the moves to back up her looks."

Blake and Chiron stood a couple of feet from one another. The cat faunus had a look of focus she searched for an opening but couldn't see one. She rushed him, raising her left hand with the large blade. Once the blade within a foot from his body. Chiron moved his right hand to strike Blake right wrist. The pain from the hit caused her to drop the blade. Before it could hit the ground, she tried to strike him with the kusarigama.

However, Chiron grabbed the large blade with his right hand in midair and stuck the center of the kusarigama's, knocking it out of Blake's hand. The cat faunus had a look of panic as the Chiron quickly spun around, delving in spin kick with his left leg into her stomach.

Blake flew a few feet back, sliding on her back against the ground for a couple of seconds, "The threat of a weapon is meaningless if your grip is weak." Chiron said as he raised his right hand to the same position as before, holding the large blade.

Blake started to stand up as she noticed where her kusarigama landed, right behind Chiron's left foot. She then pulled back her black ribbon attached to her weapon for a sneak attack. However, the horse looked down, jumping to dodge the blade. Once he landed, he tossed the ribbon blade towards the black cutting it before it could reach Blake.

The cat faunus had a premiant look of shock as Chiron walked over, "Too much reliance on a weapon can make your actions predictable." He said as he looked down at Blake remain motionless. A look of confusion came on his face at her lack of movement.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Chiron's right arm from behind. Before he could react, he felt his right arm pinned against his back and the blade of the kusarigama against his neck. He glanced back to see Blake with a focused expression on her face, "I don't put as much reliance on my weapon as you think." She said as Chiron looked back at the Blake before him. The illusion vanished like a shadow, causing Chiron to smile.

"I'm impressed, you are more skilled than I initially gave you credit for." Chiron said as Blake felt his right hand tighten, "However," He said right before he tightened his left hand. In a swift motion, collided his left elbow with her abdomen. Blake lost her breath for a second, loosening her grip on his right hand. Chiron then grabbed her hand behind his back with his right hand. He then spun her before she forced her face first into the ground. Blake's right arm was now pinned against her back as Chiron grabbed her left wrist, forcing her to drop the weapon, "Even the most notable of abilities cannot match up to years of experience in combat." The horse faunus said before letting go of Blake and standing up. The cat faunus turned over and grabbed her right wrist. She looked up at Chiron offering her his right hand, "If you allow me to train you, I can make you into a heroic spirit of high caliber." He said with Blake looking at this hand for a second. She then smiled at him before accepting it.

Back near the tree with Atalanta and Achilles, the two looked on after the battle ended, "Wow," The young hero said as he looked on with a smile, "She really handed herself against Chiron, didn't she."

"She did better than you did in your first fight with him," Atalanta commented as she bit into the apple, which she had been eating during the match and was nearly completely eaten. She then closed her eyes for a second and smiled, "Still, these students from Beacon seem to be adapting well here." She then opened her eyes and looked up towards Achilles, "Also, thank you for the ap-" The lioness faunus was saying, but she cut herself off upon not seeing the young hero where he normally was. She then looked over to see him next to the others, talking with Blake. Atalanta sighed before her expression changed to stoic irritation. She took one last bite into the apple before tossing the remains on the ground.

 **AN: There you go, a bit of a recap chapter, but is necessary so I could move forward with certain plotlines. Okita is here to keep Nobu in line, you probably can tell the parallel I want to draw with those two. Out of all character in the Fate series I could make a teacher here, Chiron is perfect for that role and the perfect mentor for Blake. And since Sun isn't here, I have Achilles to fill his role, (In watching the Apothecia anime, he is a character I liked far more than I thought I would). I know it seems like I have a lot of character now, but there are still so many more I want to introduce. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11 - Our Own Way

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Like I said, this one is extra-long with a lot of development and personality are given to a lot of the characters. This is one of the favorite chapters for a lot of reasons, it was fun to write and really feels genuine with how I want the characters to act. I wanted to thank everyone who checked out this story and has said such nice things about it. It blew my mind yesterday when I found out someone made a TV Tropes page for this fanfic. That is a huge honor for me, and I am truly grateful for people taking the time to do that. Again, thank you for all the support. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 11 – Our Own Way**

 _Archer._

Back in the arena training grounds, Bazett and Cu Chulainn were training with Archer and Cinder. However, this was a solo match between the black-haired archer and the professional huntress while the others watched from the arena seats. The blue haired lancer's face was somewhat covered in laceration and his head partially bandaged. He had a look of boredom to hide the intense pain he felt.

"A locker hit you…from the sky?" Archer said as his arms were crossed, "You know, I thought you would come up with a better excuse to hide the fact you lost to a young girl."

"I'm telling you the truth!" Cu Chulainn responded, "And I didn't lose, I was trying to teach her something."

"What, how horrible your luck is?" Archer responded with a slight chuckle, "Are you sure you didn't hit your head on something and forget that?"

"I did hit my head on something, it was the locker!" The blue haired lancer shouted back, "And don't give me that b.s. about my luck stat, it's the same as yours. Now let's just drop it already." He said as he scratched the back of his head, "My head is killing me."

Archer had a slight chuckle before hearing someone approach from the left in the row behind him. He turned to see Gilgamesh walking over to the two, "I think it's about to get worse." The silver-haired man whispered to Cu Chulainn.

"Hello Mongrel," The King of Heroes said to the blue-haired lancer before turning to Archer, "and if it isn't the Faker."

"Gilgamesh, you were late for class. Where are you roommate Mercury?" Cu Chulainn asked as the King of Heroes sat down behind the two, "Bazett and I wanted both of you here over thirty minutes ago. She already started sparring with Cinder since you two were taking so long."

"You don't need to worry about him. He has already had enough sparring for today." Gilgamesh responded with his eyes closed.

"He means Mercury is still in the medical wing," Archer clarified, "He should be fully healed by now, but I guess they wanted him to stay there for today." The silver-haired man then turned back to Gilgamesh, "You didn't have to go that far against him."

"He disrespected a king. He sealed his fate." Gilgamesh answered as he crossed his arms, a slight smile on his face, "A king needs to remind mongrels of their place in the world."

"You see, talking like that is why you have only one friend." Archer replied, "Frankly, I don't know how Enkidu tolerates you." He then looked back to Cinder and Bazett. The black-haired archer had jumped back into the air. Burning dust gathered around her hands, forming a bow in her left and arrow in her right. While in midair, she rapid fired the arrow at the professional huntress.

Bazett had a focused expression as she glared down the projectile. Just before the arrow could hit her, she caught it in her left hand, stopping it a few inches from her face. Once Cinder landed, she had a smile as she looked at Bazett. Suddenly, the arrow began to glow for a few seconds before exploding in her hand. Bazett's body was covered in a cloud of black smoke as Cinder grinned. However, the smoke cleared to show Bazett unfazed. She patted her left hand on her thigh, "You seem to have a type of dust infused in cloths to conceal your weapons."

"I could say the same about you," Cinder said as she looked at Bazett's gloves, "Though, I don't believe that is any type of dust you infused in those."

"Correct," Bazett said as she lifted her left hand, showing the back of her palm. Cinder noticed a bight symbol appear on the professional huntress's hand, "I use runic magic to make them strong enough to break aura in one punch. It sways hand-to-hand combat into my favor with unaware enemies." She then lowered her hand and had a slight smile, "I would say that is enough sparring for one day."

"Oh, in that case." Cinder said before she looked over to Archer, "Why don't you give me a demonstration of your abilities." Her smile then became somewhat sinister, "And I think you know what ability I am referring to specifically."

"Right now?" Archer said as he saw Cinder's expression remained unchanged. He sighed before uncrossing his arms and jumping into the area. Cu Chulainn and Gilgamesh followed him as he stopped a few feet from Cinder. The silver-haired man closed him as he exhaled, "I am the bone of my sword," Archer said as Cinder had a look of confusion, "Steel is my body and fire are my blood." Bazett backed up as she took out her scroll, "I have created over a thousand blades. Unknown to death, nor known to life." Cinder was about to speak up until he noticed bluish particles of light appareling around Archer, "Have withstood pain to create many weapons. Yet those hands will never hold anything." The bluish light grew larger, forming a mixture of fire and lighting, "So as I pray," Archer said before opening his eyes, a glow of light seen in them, "Unlimited Blade Works." Suddenly, the flames busted around his body. Cinder shielded her eyes from the fire with her arms but was not burned.

When Cinder lowered her arms, she was left a gasp at what she saw. The world around her had completely changed, she was no longer where she once was. The sky was full of brownish clouds and gigantic moving gears. The dirt flat land stretched for miles in all directions. The land was impaled with many swords and other weapons, far too many for her to count. Cinder then looked back to see Archer standing where he was, glaring with his silver eyes. She then smiled as she started to laugh, "Amazing."

"You are delusional," Cinder turned to see it was Gilgamesh who spoke up, walking around with his hands in his pockets as he examined the area, "This is just a collection of cheap imitations and knockoff."

"You know you didn't have to come here," Archer commented, "But if I could leave you here, I would."

"I guess Bazett had to take a call," Cu Chulainn said to himself as he walked around for a bit as he looked at the weapons. His eyes caught a red spear with familiar engravings, "Hey," the blue lancer said as turned to the silver-haired man, "You traced my Gae Bolg!" He said as he pointed to the spear, "And then you put it with all the other weapon like it is some common drop!"

"Well excuse me," Archer commented in a callous voice, "I was thinking about organizing my collection, but I lost count around unlimited!"

"This is an impressive collection," Cinder commented, "Bet exactly, where are we?"

"We're in my Reality Marble, my inner materialized world," Archer responded, "It's here I have made my blades and pull them into the real world for combat. That's the short version"

"I see, but how did you make this world." Cinder said before looking at him with that sinister smile, "Moreover, how do I make my own?"

"A one-track mind," Archer said under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at her, "The mages process is rather long and convoluted. But the main thing is to have something you have a high affinity with."

"What does that mean?" the black-haired archer asked.

"It's something you are completely in tuned with and knew every detail about." Archer said as he crossed his arms, "Think of it like this. If you could create a world like this, what is the first thing you would fill it with?"

"And your answer was swords?" Cinder responded.

"More or less," Archer said with a smug smile, "I don't think that is what you would pick. Despite trying to stab me the other day."

"Well," Cinder said as she crossed her arms, "I guess I have to think about that then, but I have an idea."

"Really?" Archer asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I'll tell you after I come up with my own little chant." Cinder said with a smile. Archer smiled also with a slight laugh. He then closed his, causing the world of the reality marble to fade.

The four returned the arena stage just as Bazett was hanging up her scroll, "Okay, the class is over." She said before looking at Archer specifically, "Also, Kiritsugu is back from his mission." Upon saying that sentence, his smile faded, "He if you wanted to meet with him, he's near the south entrance."

"I don't," Archer said before turning around and walking away, "I'm heading to get something to eat."

Cinder had a look of confusion as Bazett sighed, "That's his father," Cu Chulainn said as he walked over to Cinder, "They two were close until a few years ago when they had a falling out." The blue haired lancer said as Archer turned the corner to get out of sight, "He doesn't like to talk about it, but my guess is it had to do with what happened to his team."

"I heard the stories," Cinder responded, "About the one girl that died on his mission and her sister leaving this academy to train somewhere else." She then looked back where Archer was, "If I had to guess, he blamed himself for her death."

"Yeah," Cu Chulainn said in an empathic voice, "His father didn't help him deal with it, bringing up his ideology that his son used to follow, but Archer didn't agree with that when it came to his team. So, he resents his dad and refuses to talk with him." He then turned to the black-haired archer, "At least he is closer to his mother and little sister."

"What's done is done," Gilgamesh intervened, "For now, his idea of getting food is rather tempting." The King of Heroes said before starting to walk away.

"Hold it Gilgamesh," Bazett called out to him, "You still have to spar since you arrived late."

"You said class had ended?" Gilgamesh responded.

Bazett smiled as she cracked her knuckles, "Think of this as a mandatory private lesson." She said before looking to Cinder and Cu Chulainn, "You two can go." Her comment caused a line of sweat to run down the King of Heroes face.

"Oh no," Cu Chulainn said with a giggle, "I want to see this." He turned back cinder with a smile but was shocked to see she was walking away.

She had caught up to Archer down the hallway, but he did not stop walking, "They told you about what happened, didn't they?"

"Yes, but I already knew most of the story," Cinder comment, "What I didn't know was your father influence on you."

Archer sighed before he stopped walking. Cinder stopped as well as she looked at his look to the ground, "He wanted me to be a hunter like nonother before him. One that could save the entire world from not only Grimm but anyone who threated the peace of others." The closed his eyes before continuing, "He called it becoming a Hero of Justice and as a kid, that's all I wanted to be." Then opened his eyes, Cinder looked to see them only partly open, "But then, I had to make a choice to save one at the cost of losing the other. And all my father said was, "A life for a life is a simple call. No matter the choice, the results on who many you saved are the same. If it was a saving one life at the cost of two, would be making a foolish call." Archer then gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists, "That's when I realized his concept of a hero of justice was flawed. Just a numbers game to him and I really hate numbers."

"I see, that must have been a harsh realization," Cinder commented, "So, what is the real concept of a Hero of Justice in the World of Remnant?"

Archer's expression slowly changed to with a slight chuckle in his voice, "I knew that I don't think I would need to be at this school anymore." He then turned to Cinder with a smile, "Either way, I think that's enough talking about me for now. Let's go get something to eat, shall we?"

Cinder agreed with a confident smile before the two-resumed walking. After a few steps, the black-haired archer spoke back up, "I do think the idea of a Hero of Justice is a rather foolish idea." she said bluntly with a smile.

"You aren't the first to tell me that," Archer said with a chuckle, "And I don't think you will be the last."

 _Ruby._

Astolfo led the silver-eyed girl to the east entrance, "Alright, we have a few hours we can waste in town." The svelte paladin said as he walked with glee. He had a red apple in his left hand that he tossed in the air.

"Uh," Ruby said as her eyes wondered as she noticed no vehicle in sight, "How are we going to get there?" Astolfo looked back at her with a smile and before tossing her the apple. Ruby caught it with a look of confusion.

"Ruby, did you forget what class I am?" Astolfo said before turning and looking to open space. He then placed his right index finger and thumb on his mouth, whistling to something. After a few seconds, a collection of yellowish particles gathered before exploding into a sphere of light. The shape of the light morphed and changed to that of a large winged beast with the body shape of a horse. As the light faded, Ruby looked in awe of the creature. It had a bald eagle's head and feathers, but the front legs were talons while the back ones were like horses. The creature had a prideful gaze as it lowered its head for Astolfo to pet him, "Ruby, meet my Hippogriff."

"Wow!" Ruby said as her eyes lit up, "I have never seen anything like that before." The Hippogriff then turned to Ruby, his gazed focused on the apple in her hand. Ruby had a look of slight worry before seeing the svelte paladin give her a slight nod. The silver-eyed girl slowly approached the majestic creature, offering him the apple. The Hippogriff bit the apple, taking it out of Ruby's hands before crewing it to pieces.

The Hippogriff gave thankful scree before Ruby turned to Astolfo, "You can pet him now." Astolfo said before Ruby reached out her left hand to the majestic creature. The Hippogriff lowered its head for Ruby to reach. She patted his head, her eyes widened feeling the feathers and a smile appearing in her face.

"It's so soft," Ruby said to in a whisper and the Hippogriff made a calming sound.

"I know right," Astolfo responded, "He can be a big softy when he wants to."

"And you can just call him at will?" Ruby added on.

"Basically," Astolfo responded, "Sometimes he needs a little incentive to come out." Suddenly, the Hippogriff raised its head away from Ruby and looked to the sky. Astolfo looked to where the majestic creature was starring, "Oh, looks like you'll have another one to pet." The svelte paladin said as he looked to the sky.

Ruby wondered what he meant for a second before looking to the sky. She saw what looked like a blue blur coming down towards them. She took a single set back in fear of the collision but stopped herself upon the blur stowing down. The bluish color changed to a white, the creature seemed to have a huge wingspan. As it got closer, Ruby saw that is was a white horse with the wings bigger than the Hippogriff.

As the winged horse landed, Ruby saw the woman on it. She had long pink hair that almost reached the ground. She wore a mask over her eyes and had an odd symbol painted on her forehead. Her clothes were black with a purple lining and had on large boots. Her expression was stern before noticing the two, "Oh, hello." The long-haired woman said in a calm voice.

"Hey Medusa," Astolfo said as he waved. He then turned back to back to the silver-eyed girl, "Ruby, this is Medusa. She is another member of the Rider Class."

"Hey," Ruby responded, "I like your horse, especially the wings."

"Thank you, my Pegasus appreciates it," Medusa said as she jumped off the winged horse, "You must be one of the new transfer students."

"I am," Ruby said as she walked over to Medusa. She attempted to shake her hand, but was caught off by the mask on the long-haired rider's face, "Uh, is that a sleep mask? Because I have one of those too."

"Oh no, it's something else," Medusa responded before looking over to Astolfo while Ruby wondered how the long-haired rider was able to see. An awkward silence fell over the area for a bit, "Astolfo, are you done with classes?"

"I am, so I'd figure I would take the new girl on a trip around town." Astolfo said before patting Ruby on the back, "She is also a natural Rider like you and me, but doesn't have a ride yet. If your free someday this week, we can take her to out to find one."

"Wait, it's that easy," Ruby commented.

"Astolfo makes everything sound simple," Medusa said in a joking way, "I have to double check my schedule with the interviews I have lined."

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting," Astolfo responded before looking back to Ruby, "Medusa runs a radio talk show at the academy where she interviews students and professors." She then turned back to Medusa, "Why don't you interview Ruby, I think that would be cool."

"Oh nononono," Ruby quickly disregarded, "I don't really want that attention and I feel I would get really nervous and keep talking and trailing on and think Weiss would be a better choice because of her family or maybe Jaune or Pyrrha would be more interesting and I-" Ruby keep on her run-on sentence until Astolfo put him right hand on her left shoulder.

"It's okay," The svelte paladin said, "Maybe some other time, like after we find you your ride." Astolfo said before smiling, "Come to think of it, what would you want you mighty creature to be that you ride into battle?"

"I haven't thought about it yet," Ruby said before her mind began to wonder. The silver eyed girl imagined herself riding the back of a gigantic Zwei, both having a jubilant smile on their faces. The large corgi ran to the end of a cliff, jumping off into the sky. Suddenly, Zwei grew a large pair of wings as he soared through the sky. Ruby's silver eyes glowed with happiness as she and faithful companion felt invincible.

Back in the real world, Medusa and Astolfo watched as Ruby was lost in her thoughts with a very wide smile on her face as she looked into the distance, "Is she okay?" Medusa asked in concern Astolfo.

"Yeah, she's just in her own little world now." The svelte paladin responded, "Anyway, we are going to town for a bit. Want to join us?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Medusa responded, "I told Okita and Nobu I would hang out with them today."

"Oh, Ruby said she meet them a little while ago." Astolfo commented, "Well, hope you have fun."

"Thanks," Medusa said before walking away. Her Pegasus began to evaporate into the light.

"By the way," Astolfo called out to the longhaired rider before she got out of sight. Medusa turned around in confusion, "Next time you meet new people, you may want to take off your mask. You know, let them see your pretty eyes." He said with a smile. Medusa had slight blush as she removed her mask, looking back Astolfo with her pink irises. The center of her eyes had a small vertical rectangle instead of a circle, "See, you look way cooler now."

"Thank you Astolfo," Medusa said with a slight nod before turning around and walking away.

Astolfo smiled before mounting his Hippogriff. The majestic creature moved over to the silver-eye girl, picking up Ruby by the collar of her cape with his beak. Ruby failed for a second as she remembered where she saw. The Hippogriff dropped her on his back, right behind Astolfo, "You may want to how on." The svelte paladin said before the Hippogriff flapped his wings. They began to ascend as Ruby grabbed Astolfo's waist. The creature screed before taking off at high speed. Ruby's eyed widened in wonder as she smiled. The rose above to the clouds as she looked back at the academy.

"This is so cool!" Ruby screamed in glee.

 _Mercury._

Mercury was talking with Emerald over his scroll. He laid in on a bed of the medical wing while Emerald standing in the stand away from her group, "Wait, you're at a beach!?" the silver-haired assassin said, "What teacher does that the first day for her students."

"Apparently, this Professor has a habit of doing things like this," Emerald responded, "This little field trip is going to last a while." She then turned around to see the rest of her group. Nora and Frankenstein were creating a massive castle in the sand. Ren and Robin were standing in the water, fishing with makeshift rods. They had a decent pile of already caught fish near them at the shore. Kiyohime was sitting in the shade under a tree as she watched Ren with a smile. Neo and Jekyll were walking on the shore, their shoes off as they walked down the coast. Drake sat on a rock near the firepit looking at a paper map, "This isn't even a class, it's a camping trip."

"Only you would be annoyed that something like," Mercury commented, "Anyway, Cinder said you would send me any class notes I missed."

"Yeah, that's not happening from where I'm at, you have to find someone else." The green haired assassin replied before smiling, "Why don't you ask your roommate for any notes? You know he can give you a summary of exactly how he kicked your ass twice in less than 24-hours."

"Yeah, that's not happening either." Mercury retorted, "Until I figure out a way to make him pay, I'm staying as far away as possible from him." He then had a confident smile on his face, "Either way, enjoy your little vacation with your Roman-substitute crushing"

"He's not a Roman-substitute and I'm not being crushing like you are implying!" Emerald angrily responded.

"Hey Emerald," She turned to see Robin calling out to her. He had a freshly caught fish on his line, "We're going to start cooking the fish now."

"Great!" Emerald responded in a cheerful voice, "I love fish."

"I thought you told me you hated fish," Mercury responded, causing Emerald to hang up on him. He looked at his scroll insight anger before putting in his pocket and sighing. Suddenly, the silver-haired assassin felt his stomach growl, "Great, her mentioning fish reminded me I haven't in forever." He said in an irritated voice before getting out of the bed.

Mercury walked out of his room in the medical center, turning to his left and right, he saw the hallways looked the exact same, "How do I get to the cafeteria from here?" To his right, he noticed another door leading to another medical room. Mercury shrugged before placing his hand on the handle. Suddenly, he felt a guttural respond telling him to stop. The silver-haired assassin's mind returned to the events last night. He had a line of sweat come down his forehead before letting go of the handle. Mercury raised his left hand and knocked on the door, his breath slightly held as he waited for a response. "Yes?" a young girls voice called from inside the room, "You can come in if you want, we don't mind visitors."

Mercury took a sigh of relief before entering the room. He looked to see a television in the far-right corner of the room, playing what looked like a child's cartoon playing a cheery song. He then looked to the opposite end to see a small girl in bed, her head bobbing to the beat of the music. The girl looked barely ten with short white hair. She had a few scars on her face, including one over her left eye. Her right arm was in a sling as she wore a white medical gown. Mercury continued to look around the room, wondering where the other person was, "Uhh, hey kid. My name's Mercury." He said with a slight wave.

"Hi Mercury," The little girl said in a happy voice, "People call me Jack."

"Jack?" Mercury said, thinking it was an odd name for a girl, "You mean like short for Jackeline?"

"No No," Jack responded, "People call me Jack the Ripper."

"The Ripper?" Mercury thought, "Why would they give a little girl like that such a scary nickname." He then felt his stomach growl again.

"You hungry?" Jack asked, "If you want, we can share some food with you?"

"Oh no, that's fine." Mercury said as he rescanned the room for another person, but found nobody else, "I just need directions to the cafeteria."

"But we insist." The little girl responded as she reached for something to the left of her bed. She pulled out a white plastic container with a metal fork to the top of it. However, she struggled to open it with one hand.

"Here, let me," Mercury said as he took the container out of her hand. Jack looked at Mercury with a thankful smile, "How did you break your arm?"

"Grimm," Jack said in a somewhat sad voice, "We got too carried away in having fun."

"You keep saying 'we,' but I don't see anyone else here," the silver-haired assassin said to the little girl before looking to his right. He saw another door with a toilet emblem on it, "Is your friend in the bathroom?"

"Nobody is in the bathroom." Jack responded before her stomach growled, "Hurry, we are getting hungry."

"Alright, alright," Mercury said as he cracked open the lid of the plastic container. Suddenly, he smelled an odor come from it, "Wait, is that blood?" he thought to himself before shrugging, "I guess she eats her steak raw." He then completely took off the lid and looked at the contents of the container. Suddenly, a look of horror fell over the silver-haired assassin's face as he saw two hearts in the container, both still wet with blood. He tossed the box in fear, but it landed in front of Jack's lap. The little girl had a look of glee as she saw its contents, "What it that!?" Mercury called as his breathing turned sporadic, "Are those-!?"

"This is our meal," Jack responded, ignoring the second question, and cutting him off. She picked up the fork and stabbed one of the hearts. She lifted it to her mouth an ate it whole without chewing. A little bit of blood was dripping out of the corner of her mouth, "Ah, Mommy always says it is better fresh." She said as she whipped the blood off her mouth.

"What type of sick mother do you have!?" Mercury responded. After his sentence, Jack the Ripper turned to her with the smile gone from her face. Her expression changed to sheer anger as she glared daggers at him. Her grip on the fork tightened as Mercury began to sweat, "I mean, what is your mother like, is she nice?" he said as he put on a fake smile.

"Oh, she is really nice and sweet," Jack said as she instantly switched to a smile and cute demeanor, "We love our Mommy."

"That's good, that's good." Mercury said as his eyes lingered to the container, "Listen, I think I should go now."

"You don't want to eat?" Jack asked.

"I somehow lost my appetite," Mercury said as he began to back up. He placed his right hand on his forehead as he started to feel dizzy. He turned back to the bathroom door, "You said nobody is in the bathroom, right?" He asked with Jack nodding. Mercury then quickly entered the bathroom and closed the door. Jack shrugged before stabbing the other heart with her fork. As she ate the other heart, the sounds of heaving come from inside the bathroom.

 **AN: There you good, a lot was covered in this chapter. Archer gets to show a taste of his UBW, and you also see into the mind of what happened in his past, (I plan to do a flashback chapter to go into details on the event). Astolfo acts really cool this chapter and Ruby has some fun stuff to think about. Also, we have Medusa here with her running a talk show, which is an obvious call to Fate/GUDAGUDA. And Finally, Mercury made a new friend in Jack the Ripper, learning a few things from his encounter with Gilgamesh to allow him to survive, (he also gets a little karma back in this chapter). That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12 - Team Extella

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter. Thank you for all the continued support and checking out the story. I have been having a lot of fun planning certain events in this story and introducing a few more fan-favorite characters. This one has a couple of my favorites and a few I know some people will enjoy. Also, since I made the RWBY character sheets and they were well received. I was thinking I should do a school directory for Chaldea, listing the characters from fate who are teachers, students, and some of the teams. Let me know if you would want a bonus chapter like that, or to just focus on continuing the story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 12 – Team Extella**

 _Glynda._

Glynda walked down the halls of the academy, her eyes focused on her tablet. It the devices was a list of her students from Beacon that she was to be supervising, "It appears no one has broken any rules, only receiving some mild complaints from a few professors." Her mind then began to wander back to her conversation with Zhuge Liang, remembering his comment about Iskandar meeting his students before their class. She then opened a new table on her tablet, showing a small list of students marked under the name, Team Extella, "These four are my class for lessons on territorial combat." Glynda said before opening a small map in her tablet, "It mentions they usually meet near the north entrance to head out to town at this time. A rather personal detail, but if I can introduce myself, it could benefit our relationship." She thought to herself before walking to her new destination.

Upon arrival, she waited near the entrance, putting her tablet away. Glynda stood next to the right-side stone golem, glancing at what she assumed was its face at the metal plate. She noticed the reddish stones, acting as eyes looking down at her. The two engaged in a somewhat starring contest as a dead silence fell over the area, "These golems could benefit the other kingdoms as a secondary form of security." She said as the golems vision remained unwavering, "I should ask who made these things next time I speak with the headmaster."

A few seconds later, a shrill female voice was heard from inside the academy, "But we all agreed to go to the new store that opened up today!"

"I know the type of fashion they sell," Another female voice responded, this one with an air of arrogance layering in every word, "They're only things a child would wear, but I guess that would be perfect for you."

"Besides, I think we should head over my designer," Another female voice added on, this one's tone was full of dignity and pride, "I think she could find something more respectable for you three than your current attires."

"What is that supposed to mean!" The two other voices said at the same time.

"You three are annoying me," A fourth female voice added, this one in a deadpan voice with slight resentment, "If you don't, I will have to destroy you all and go to the store myself."

Glynda turned to look towards where the voices were coming from. Approaching her were four female students engaged in their conversation. From right to left, the first girl Glynda noticed was the blond one with a bright red dress. The dress also had a white, almost clear section that made her lower half very revealing, also showing off her gold armor boots. To her right appeared to be a fox faunus with the matching ears and tail. However, while her fur was a light brown, the rest of her hair on her head was pink. She wore a short blue kimono and sandals that seemed to raise her height by more than a few inches. Next to her was a girl at least a few years younger than the other. She also appeared to be a faunus, but her characteristics made it had for the professor from becoming to determine. The girl's fingers were magenta, matching her hair. On her head were a pair of horns that seemed to coil in a bun before protruding upwards. Her long thin tail was a scaly black with a twin magenta long tip. The girl also was a frilled, black and white skirt and high heels with a spike pointing out from the tip of her shoes. Next to her was a dark-skinned lady wearing barely anything but what looked like a skimpy swimsuit. Her body was marked with white lines and her red eyes had a blank stare. Her hair was white, but she wore a long vail the stretched down her back. "Well, fashion here certainly is ...varied." Glynda thought to herself before making her presence know.

"Who are you?" The fox faunus asked in a perturbed voice, "Were you waiting for us?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, I am a professor from Beacon Academy." She responded, "I will be teaching you-"

"Oh, you're that teacher from that pathetic school," The horned girl interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Glynda asked, "That is a rude comment."

"Well, it's true." The woman in the red dress responded, "Vale and the other kingdoms had the terrain to prevent them from being invaded by Grimm on a regular basis." She then placed her right hand on her chest with a smile, "We had to fight constantly to protect our land and our people." She then pointed to Glynda, her smile slightly changing to one full of pride, "While you only ventured beyond the mountains for curiosity and personal satisfaction."

"That's what separates heroes from hunters." The woman in the white vail added.

Glynda had a dissatisfied look on her face as she took a deep breath. She exhaled before speaking up, "I do not exactly agree with that observation." The professor said as she adjusted her glasses, "Maybe we should reintroduce ourselves."

The woman in the red dress nodded, making a cute grunting notice before talking, "Very well, I am Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus." She said as she closed her eyes and gestured with her arms. Her movements seemed to create a small flurry of rose petals to radiator from her body, "The Emperor of Rose and most beautiful woman in all of Remnant, but just Nero is acceptable."

The fox faunus crossed her arms as she had a snide smile on her face, "I am Tamano No Mae, the actual most beautiful woman in all of Remnant." Her comment caused Nero to open her eyes, glaring at the fox faunus. Sparks of rage flew between the two, as they refused to back down on their claims.

The horned girl winked with her left eye as held her left index and middle spread over her left eye, "I am the world's first idol heroic spirit to the world of Remnant. The incredibly cute and adorable dragon princess, Elizabeth Bathory." At the end of her sentence, a small eruption of light in the shape of stars and hearts came from her body.

"My name is Attila," The white veiled woman said in a displeased voice, "But I do not like how it sounds. I like being called Altera." Her eyes then narrowed with determination, "I am the one who will destroy every Grimm on the face of the planet."

"You four certainly make an interesting team." Glynda commented, "Now, which of you is the leader?"

"Me!" Three of the girls said at the same time. Altera abstained.

"We have been over this topic a hundred times now!" Elizabeth commented, "How can I be an idol if I'm not the leader?"

"You're lucky we even let you be on our team," Tamano responded, "I just needed someone to keep my room clean. You're not a true leader like me."

"A true leader?" Nero commented, "I'm the only the only one of us who completed the trial to earn my title as Emperor of Roses." Altera then glared over to Nero, "Okay, Altera also has her title of King of Combat. But she doesn't want to be a leader. It should be me!"

"Oh please," Tamano responded with a slight giggle, "If Leadership was a stat on out Class Cards, yours would not be high enough to even register a Rank E." She then took out her class own class card, holding it with pride, "I can tell my Leadership skill would be a Rank EX easily based on how high my current ones are."

"Excuses me," Nero said as she pulled out her own class card, "Remember that the Saber class is a natural for having high stats."

"Are you sure your memory is not fading you?" Elizabeth responded to the fox faunus, "Maybe you're going crazy?" Tamano then turned her gaze to the idol student, raising her right hand slightly. Suddenly, a paper talisman shot out of her sleeve and attached to Elizabeth's forehead. A blast of electricity shot out of the paper, causing Elizabeth to scream in pain from the shock. After the electrify fade, the idol student glared up at the fox faunus, who had a very catlike smile, "See, sane people don't shock others in the middle of a conversation."

"I disagree," Tamano responded with a slight laugh, "The best way to win an argument is to inspire fear into your opponent. Making them afraid to even speak up." Her commented caused Elizabeth to grit her teeth in anger.

"I see now," Glynda said responded. The four students turn back to her to see was looking at her tablet the whole time, "The four of you are marked as a team of exceptional potential, but have had constant complaints of internal bickering." The professor from Beacon said before putting away her tablet, "It seems I will have to teach you some basic teamwork skills in our lessons together." Glynda then had a slight smile on her face, "Fear not, I am confident in my abilities as a professor of high standards."

"What makes you think we will listen to you. You're a teacher from a weaker school than this one," Tamano said, causing Glynda to quickly create her riding crop in her right hand. She quickly struck the fox faunus on the forehead, "Ouch!" Tamano said as she holds her head in pain, Elizabeth looked on with a slight giggle.

"Because while I may not be as strong as your other professors," Glynda said before adjusting her glasses with her riding crop, "My abilities to produce exceptional results are unmatched." She then began to walk away from the group heading back towards the academy, "Enjoy your free time today. On the day of our class, I trust you four will not be late."

The four students look back at Glynda with varying levels of anger, "Who does she think she is?" Tamano said as she walked away from the others, still rubbing her head.

"Maybe we were a bit harsh on her." Nero commented as she caught up to the foxy faunus, "I mean, we still haven't met the new students from the other kingdoms."

"I heard one of the girls has a similar skill to yours," Elizabeth said to Nero, "You know, the whole roses out of nowhere thing."

"Yeah…Wait, what!?" Nero responded, her eyes narrowing in anger, "I'm the only one who should have that ability. It is a skill reserved only for those of royalty and great beauty. It is the mark of a champion to have such a talent. It is meant to be one of a kind!"

"Isn't that skill worthless in combat," Altera responded, "It doesn't do anything except make roses out of nowhere."

"It's a matter of principles!" The Emperor of Roses responded, "I must find her and have her get rid of that skill forthwith."

"I don't think you can do that," Tamano commented before her expression turned catty, "Are you sure you're not jealous?"

"I am not jealous! This is a matter of pride!" Nero exclaimed with an almost fiery aura, "The rest of you go into town, I will go search the academy for this girl." She then turned to the idol student, "Tell, what does she look like? Or at least, what is her name?"

"I don't know, I never meet her?" Elizabeth commented, taking a step back, "I think her name is Ruby something, I don't remember?"

"That will have to do, I'm off!" Nero said before rushing back into the academy ground. All she left behind was a trail of fire and flurry of rose petals that marked her path.

The rest of her team looked on with a dumbfounded expression. Expect for Altera, who was still somewhat deadpan, "And she thinks she's fit to be our leader when she acts like that." Tamano commented, "Come on, let's go while we still have time left in the day." The fox faunus said with the others nodding before the three resumed their walk.

 _Yang._

Mordred and Yang found themselves in a class far below the academy grounds. As they walked down a stone staircase, only the light of nearby torches illuminated their path. They reached a large door at the end of the staircase. The prideful knight opened the door, showing her blond berserker roommate to what looked like a hidden catacomb. Yang looked back at Mordred in slight shock, "We have a class in here?" she asked with Mordred nodding.

"Don't worry," Mordred said as she walked into the catacombs, "Mostly everything in here is dead." Yang sighed before following her roommate, the door shutting behind them.

"So, what class is this again?" Yang asked, "Some type of Biology? Chemistry?"

"Necromancy." A male voice answered in a somewhat gruff tone. Yang turned to see a man in a black biker like outfit and orange undershirt. He had brownish hair in a mullet and a small beard. He had three vertical scars over his right eye and had a pair of sunglasses on, "You must be the kid Mordred told me about."

"Yeah," Yang responded before smelling a foul stench coming from the man, "And you must be the guy Mordred picked up her smoking habit from."

Mordred sighed as the necromancer had a slight chuckle, "This is Kairi Shishigou, the Necromancy Professor at Chaldea." Mordred said as she pointed to him, "He's also my legal guardian with my father missing."

"Really, that's neat." Yang commented as she looked around the room, noticing all the stone coffins, "But that really doesn't explain why we have class in the catacombs. For that matter, why does this school even have a catacomb?"

"It's a better environment for me to teach necromancy." Shishigou said as he walked over to one of the coffins, placing his right hand on the stone lid, "The school created these catacombs for those who lost their lives in protecting this land, but only those whose bodies were recoverable. Even when dead, they can still help the future generation by passing on their hidden knowledge or even allowing us to recreate their weapon if it was lost in spirit form." He then lifted his hand from the coffin, "And as a necromancer, there are other things I can show people to help in them to survive in this world."

"Really?" Yang asked with the necromancer nodding. The blond berserker paused for a second before continuing, "Can you even bring the dead back to life?"

Shishigou and Mordred had a look of regret for a second before the necromancer spoke up, "Consider this your first lesson and the general rule for necromancy class. Necromancy is a form of communication with the dead, not reanimation." He said before walking back towards the back end of the room, slight angry in his voice "I'm not here to teach teenagers how to disrupt the flow of life, just how to help their chances of survival."

Yang turned towards to Mordred, "Did I say something I'm not supposed to?" She whispered.

"No, just don't bring up the topic again," The prideful knight responded before following Shishigou, "It's a touchy subject for both of us."

Yang had a look of worry as she followed her roommate. The two found their teacher sitting on the floor. Mordred sat down as Yang had a look of hesitation, "I guess this might be why this class isn't that popular." She thought before sitting down herself. She quickly looked around the area to see the walls decorated with different bone Grimm masks. The corners were covered in cobwebs and the scent of formaldehyde filled the air, "Well, at least one of the reasons."

"Now, the second lesson of necromancy is that the body has more uses in death than you would think it would," Shishigou said as he reached into his holster on his right side. He then pulled out a sawed-off shotgun, "Like as source in a form of ammunition."

"That sounds a bit morbid," Yang said before rising her right arm. As she clenched her fist, she created right Ember Celica, "But I do like your taste in weaponry." The necromancer grinned as he ejected the two shells out of his shotgun. He tossed them to the blond berserker, who caught them in her left hand. They seemed normal to Yang's confusion.

"Now, lesson three isn't restricted to necromancy," Shishigou said before looking over to Mordred. The prideful knight nodded before getting up, "The third one on your left should be fast enough." He said as Mordred walked over to the stone coffin matching that location. Shishigou then looked back to Yang, "Now, load those shells into your weapon and try to hit your target before it gets out and into the rest of the school."

"Before what gets out?" Yang said as she opened her right Ember Celica's ammo chamber, "You know what, I can probably guess what it is." She said while changing out her ammo for the new rounds.

Shishigou then held up his right hand, pointing up with one finger. "Just one rule, you can't stand up." He said with Yang having a look of confusion. She turned her had to see Mordred place her right foot at the edge of the coffin lid, "Good luck." The necromancer said before Mordred kicked off the lid, causing it to break into pieces upon hitting the ground. The prideful knight took a few steps back.

Emerging out of the coffin was a Creeper Grimm. In growled in fury as it looked over to Mordred. However, the prideful knight glared down the monster, remaining unimpressed. Yang tried to aim while sitting down, but the monster saw her before she could line up the shot. The Creeper growled before running away, jumping between the coffins as it made its way for the door. Yang gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep the focus on the creature. Suddenly, she shrugged as took a wild shot hoping for the best.

The new ammunition expelled from her right Ember Celica. However, Yang had a look of awe and slight disgust at what she saw. Rather than a blast of fiery dust like normal, what was shot out were three human fingers. The finger followed the path of the Grimm, adjusting to the target no matter the Creeper's attempt to dodge. Upon impact, the fingers dug into the monsters back and tore apart its insides. The Grimm made a death howl before falling onto the ground.

"Wow," Yang commented as Shishigou grinned, "Did I just shoot a bunch of Grimm seeking fingers out of my gauntlet."

"Yep, necromancy lets you do some pretty wild stuff." Shishigou said, "Now, are you interested in a few more lesson?"

Yang smiled at an opportunity for something presented itself, "I guess I could go for a few pointers." The blond berserker said with a smile. Shishigou smiled with a discomfiting laugh, while Mordred sighed in displeasure.

 **AN: There you go, a lot of new faces in this one. Nero was going to have a different role at the beginning of this story, but in playing more of Fate/Extella, I found a more interesting path for her character. After I thought more about the rose similarity between her and Ruby, I knew what I could do to make a pretty funny plotline. Tamano is here and has her sassy charm to her cruel personality. I liked Elizabeth's character the more I played Extella, but it was more in a pity way and can't wait to write more of her in the future. Altera is here and the reason why she acts the way she does now will be explained later. Her backstory here will also answer the question of where the protagonist of the Extra/Extella series is. So, with Team Extella, Glynda has her work cut out for her. Lastly, we have Shishigou teaching necromancy and Yang really enjoying it, (I know it is also spelled Sisigou in some cases, but I'm going with the other spelling). I really think he and Mordred my favorite master/servant relationship in any Fate series, (nothing romantically, but symbolically as a father/daughter team). That's part of the reason I also like them having a closer relationship in this story and making him her legal guardian here. If you have a favorite pairing or friendship in the fate series, I would love to hear it. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	13. Chaldea Academy Staff and Student List

**Chaldea Academy Staff and Student List**

 **AN: Hey everyone, I have another little bonus chapter here. This one goes over the school in detail on who is running what and who the professors and students are. Now, this list will answer some of the questions on "Will this Fate-series character make an appearance?" While this is an insane list of characters, it does not mean they are the only characters I will be using form the fate series, (Certain characters like Artoria, Hercules, Avenger, and Foreigner exist in this world, but are not at this school). These are the characters that have roles in the school, from major to minor. The story so far has covered some of these characters, but this bonus character clarifies, and spoils, the rest of this school's occupants. Some people on this list may only go as far as a cameo, others have much bigger roles as time goes on. This list may change as time goes on, but I want to keep this as solid and constant as possible for the future of this story. At the ending AN, I will clarify a few things some people may have questions about. Hope you enjoy this bonus chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Headmaster** \- Zhuge Liang

 **Elite Advisors** \- Merlin, Sherlock Homes, Ozymandias, Leonardo Di Vinci, and Nightingale

 **Head of Medical and Admissions Department** \- Doctor Romani Archaman

 **Head of Security and Academy Frontline Defenses** \- Solomon ibn Gabirol

 **Head of Communications and Academy Power** \- Nicola Tesla

 **Head of Recourses and Academy Magic Bylaws** \- Medea

 **Head of the Church at Chaldea** – Kirei Kotomine

 **Head of Chaldea Youth Program** – Irisviel

 **Head of Special Operations and Grimm Extermination** \- Kiritsugu Emiya

 **Professors of Arts/Non-combat Classes**

Writing - Hans Christian Anderson

Drama - William Shakespeare

Music - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Physics - Thomas Edison

Chemistry - Paracelsus Van Hohenheim

"Biology" - Medb

Mathematics - James Moriarty

Economics - Sakata Kintoki

Dance - Mata Hari

Necromancy - Kairi Shishigou

Rudimentary Magic – Semiramis

Medical - Caren Hortensia

 **Professors of Combat Focused Classes (Single Teacher)**

Chiron

Saint Martha

Scathach

Francis Drake

Iskandar

 **Professors of Combat Focused Classes (Co-taught)**

Li Shuwen and Fujimura Taiga

Vlad III and Siegfried

Cu Chulainn and Bazett Fraga McRemitz

Gawain and Lancelot

 **Students (Teams)**

 **Team London** – Mordred, Mashu Kyrielight, Henry Jekyll (Hyde), and Frankenstein

 **Team Greece** – Achilles, Atalanta, Robin Hood, and Kiyohime

 **Team Extella** – Nero Claudius, Tamano no Mae, Elizabeth Bathory, and Altera

 **Team France** – Marie Antoinette, Astolfo, Chevalier d'Eon, and Charles-Henri Sanson

 **Team GUDA** – Oda Nobunaga, Okita Souji, Medusa, and Penthesilea

 **Team Avenger** – Edmond Dantes, Cleopatra, Kato Danzo, and Miyamoto Musashi

 **Team Strange** – Enkidu, Arjuna, Karna, and Nitocris

 **Team CCC** – Tamano Cat, Suzuka Gozen, Ushiwakamaru, and Tomoe Gozen

 **Team Prisma** – Illyasviel von Einzbern, Chole, Jack the Ripper, and Nursery Rhyme

 **Students (Solo)**

Archer (Shiro)

Gilgamesh

Jeanne d'Arc

Amakusa Shirou

Ishtar

BB

 **AN: So, some titles and teams may need some calcifications. The professors ages heavily very, but the range for most of the students is between 17 and 23. This academy acts more like a college than Beacon does as a high school. The classes are all pick and choice with the professor being the deaminated on who passes and gains the credits. After acquiring enough credits over your stay, you go right into the work as a heroic sprit(Hunter).** **The Elite Advisors to the Headmaster are his cabinet for how he can better run the school and oversee larger section of operation. They are not teachers because they help manage the entire academy fulltime.** **Chaldea Youth Program, headed by** **Irisviel, is a daycare/orphanage meant to look after the very younger members of Team Prisma. The other divisions should be self-explanatory, and the Professors of Arts are the primarily 'normal' classes at the school with a few humorous picks of the teachers. The combat teachers are here, but they have their own unique styles that I don't put an exact title to.**

 **The teams are in the same four-person style of RWBY, but do not follow the same naming convention. The first name of the team is the leader, the next is their partner, and the following two are the remaining member who are partners with each other, (With the slight exception of Extella on the leader rule). The team's names are based in one of three ways, all having to do with the leader of the team: 1) The region their legend is based in, 2) The fate series they are a part of, or 3) the unique class they have. The composition of the teams in some cases is a bit confusing, but it will make more sense as the get introduced in the main story. The structure of some of the teams was also to go with the Beacon transfer program, making some teams work that way. Students in solo have no team name, they are the one-man-teams thanks to independent action skill from archers or being of the Ruler class. (Ishtar and BB are not proper attendees to Chaldea, but will come more into the school as the story goes on). That's pretty much everything I can think of I have planned in this story are far as these reveals go. This is a lot of character, with also the rwby cast, to manage in one story. Hope this chapter helps you see who else is in the universe for this story and some of the things I have planned based on these matchups.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	14. Chapter 13 - Unlucky

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and for checking out this story, (There is also a TV Tropes of this story if you want to check that out also). This one is a flashback chapter to the events Archer has been alluding to in the past few chapters now. It answers what happened to certain characters and lets you see how Team Stay Night operates like in the world of Remnant. It was an engaging one to write but gets a bit sad near the end. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 13 – Unlucky**

 _Seven years ago._

"Shirou…. Shirou," a female voice called to Shirou Emiya as he laid sleeping on the ground in the forest in a makeshift camp. The voice was stern, with a hint of a caring behind it, "Shirou!" The hint of caring was gone from the voice as it became fully irritated.

Shirou began to open his eyes, he noticed a teenage girl in a red long-sleeved sweater with a white cross on it. She had a black skirt and thigh high stockings. Her black hair was tied in twin ponytails by black ribbons. She stared daggers at the red-haired boy, pouting as her hands were on her hips, "I'm up Rin." Shirou said as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'm aware of that now Shirou, you really slept in." Rin said as she crossed her arms, "We have to get moving to catch up with Sakura and the professor."

"Catch up?" Shirou said as he stood up, "You mean they already started searching the small town?" He asked with the twin-tailed girl nodded before walking away. The red-haired boy groaned as he followed her. The two eventfully reached a dirt road that the began to walk down it.

"The professor thought it would be best for you to sleep in." Rin said as they walked down a dirt path, "She and Sakura moved ahead while I stayed back to make sure a Grimm didn't come and make you its breakfast."

"Thank you, Rin." Shirou said with a smile, causing Rin to look away to hide her blushing, "I guess I'm still not used to these lookout shifts with only the three of us on this team."

"Yeah well, you can blame that on Shinji," Rin said as her voice turned callous, "They found out how he cheated on his papers to get into Chaldea. Then they kicked him out right before we had to go on this mission." She then turned to Shirou with a slight smile, "But if you ask me, I'm glad we got rid of him." He eyes then started to light up with wonder, "Maybe our new member will be someone really a skill. Or maybe they can be one of the saber classes like our professor."

"Rin, he is Sakura's brother." Shirou responded, "And technically your step-brother."

"Whatever, if he was going to cheat he shouldn't have gotten caught," Rin said before the road they were on leading them to a clearing. The two see what looked like the remains of a small town. Smoke still fumed from the wreckage of stone houses. Rin had look or sorrow as she looked at the carnage, "It's as bad as the report said." She then looked near the center of town, seeing a large crater, "What could have caused that? It couldn't have been a Grimm, could it?" She said as she turned to see Shirou. However, his eyes full of rage as he gritted his teeth. Rin sighed before speaking back up, "Come on, they said they would meet us in the center of town." The twin tail girl said before continuing down the path towards the destroyed town.

On their way through the town, they examined the area. The doors and windows were broken of the passing houses. However, Shirou noticed something odd to him, "Where are the people at? Did they manage to evacuate?"

"There was no record of a distress signal. We only got word from a far-off town that heard the explosion and saw the pillar of smoke." Rin commented as she noticed no blood splatter on the ground or the walls, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Shirou! Rin!" a female voice called from the distance ahead. They turned to see a girl with purplish hair that matched her eyes. She had on a light brown vest with a white undershirt and black skirt. In her right hand was a long blue spear with a large, U-shaped head.

"Sakura!" Shirou called back with a smile, "I'm glad you're safe."

"Where is the Professor?" Rin asked, "Did something happen?"

Sakura was out of breath as she stopped, "We found something inside that large crater." She then turned around and started running again, "There's no time to wait, you need to see this."

"Need to see what!?" Rin said with the response from her sister. Shirou followed the two girls as the ran through the city. As they passed through the town, the two noticed black blobs of a mystery substance that became more followed as they followed Sakura.

The group soon reached the center of the town, noticing a person standing at the edge of the large crater looking down into it. She wore a blue dress with armor attached to her arms, legs, and sides. Her hair was a bright blond tied in a bun, along ahoge was still visible. Upon hearing the students approaching, she turned around with a stern expression.

"Professor Pendragon," Sakura said, "I found them as a fast as I could."

"Good work Sakura," Arturia responded, "I fear this mission may be more dangerous than our thought."

"What do you mean," Rin asked the King of Knights, but her response was turning back to the crater. The twin-tailed girl walked over to the crater, looking in with a line of sweat dripping down her face. The depth of the pit was almost couple hundred meters below ground level. However, filling the pit were countless Grimm of different breeds. The Beowolves had their faces to the ground as they searched. The Ursa types dug into the ground with their claws. The Creeps ate the dirt as they tried to find something, "What…is this?"

"I don't know," Arturia responded, "Grimm do scavenge, but not like this and not in this type of congregation." She then looked over the rim of a large crater, "Based on this shape, they all ran into this hole without any regarded for getting out. It is like a trap. However, they don't seem to want to leave. It is like they are trying to find something in that hole."

Sakura walked over to look in the pit, "I didn't see any people in there, but it's hard to tell from this distance." The purple-haired girl said as she looked back to the destroyed town, "The place was torn apart, but we found no bodies."

"Not even blood," Rin added on as she turned to her sister, "Grimm are too messy to leave an invaded town this clean of blood-spattered." The twin-tailed girl then looked back at the crater, "I have no idea what could have created this hole, maybe an explosion from some type of Noble Phantasm."

"The Heroic Spirit here did not have the power to do something like this with their Noble Phantasm." Artoria added on, "Shirou, what do you-" She said as she turned to where she thought he was. However, the King of Knights had a look of slight panic as he was not there.

The three scanned the area for him, finding the red-haired boy next to a pile of the black sludge. Shirou looked down at the pile in confusion. He reached for the piled, his right finger about to touch the odd substance, "What are you doing!" Rin called out as she ran over to him, "Don't touch that!"

"Oh," Shirou said as he stopped himself, looking back at her and the other approaching, "Sorry, it's just these things are all over the place." He said before standing up, "And they showed up more frequently as we got closer to that crater."

"Yeah, I noticed it also," Rin responded as she looked down at the piled of black sludge, "They look like the pools of the essence the Grimm are born from."

"But those things have been here since we got here," Sakura responded, "They don't stay like this for that long." The purple haired girl then turned to the King of Knights, "What could these be?"

Artoria starred at the piled with a look of worry, "I don't know." She then looked back to the large crater infested with Grimm, "However, if I had to guess, wherever caused that crater may have resulted in the black sludge. Whatever happened here attracted the Grimm to that pit." She then turned back to her group, "We have to contact the special operations team to quarantine this area. Before their arrival, we search the area for survivors."

"Professor Pendragon," Rin responded her voice filled with regret, "I agree with that call, but I highly doubt there are survivors left. We would have seen someone by now." She then looked over a Shirou who had a look of intensity towards a nearby alleyway, "Shirou?" She asked with him not paying her any attention.

Suddenly, the sound of a groan came from the alleyway. Shirou quickly ran for the dark alleyway, the look of hope filled his eyes, "Hey, there's someone still alive."

"Shirou!" Arturia called out to him, "Don't rush in, it could be a trap!" She said as she followed him into the alley. The King of Knights turned back to look at Rin and Sakura, "Stay there and watch our backs." They nodded as Artoria and Shirou ran into the alleyway.

The red-haired boy ran in as he scanned the area for someone. The damaged buildings caused a large shadow over part of the alley in front of him, making it almost seem like nighttime. Right before he was about to enter the shadows, Shirou stopped. He heard the groaning sound again, looking to see where the person was. Suddenly, he saw the outline of a body standing. The person looked male, around the same build as Shirou, and had disheveled hair. Due to being in the shadows, his body looked completely black with only his eyes visible, "Hey, we're here to help you." The red-haired boy called out to the shadowy person, quickly gain his attention. Shirou smiled as the person slowly approached him, "My name is Shirou Em-" He was continuing to say until his smile slowly faded from his face.

Once Artoria caught up to Shirou, she saw the person emerge from the shadows. However, the darkness that covered his body remained, emanated an almost black aura. The eyes suddenly narrowed and filled with anger, glaring at the red-haired boy, "Shirou, get back!" Arturia called right before the shadowy person rushed him. Before he could react, Shirou met with the shadowy person punching him in the gut. The force of the impact pushed Shirou into Artoria, sending both flying out of the alley the same way they came.

Rin and Sakura looked at as Shirou and Artoria emerged out of the alleyway. The King of Knights quickly caught herself from falling, while the red-haired boy landed on his back and winced in pain on the ground, "Shirou!" The two girls called at the same time. Sakura ran to his aid as Rin looked back to alleyway, seeing the shadowy person emerge, "What is that Thing!?" The twin-tailed girl asked in shock, causing the creature to glare over at her.

"It appears to be some new form of Grimm." Artoria said as she glared back to the shadowy person, "One that has a humanoid form."

"But that's impossible!" Sakura commented as she helped Shirou up, "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Right now, we have to take this thing down." Shirou said as he extended his arms, "Trace on." He said to himself, causing a burst of electricity to form in his hands in the shape of twin blades. One black and the other white. Sakura nodded as she tightened her grip on her spear. Rin extended her right arm aimed at the Humanoid Grimm, steadying her arm with her left hand.

Artoria held out both her hands. A gust of wind gathered around them as she took the stance of someone holding a sword. She held it to her side as she glared at the shadowy person, "Everyone, our mission is to eliminate this new form of Grimm." The King of Knights said as the Humanoid Grimm's arms before the shapeshift. Protruding out his forearms were two oddly shaped weapons with multiple jagged blades. With each hand he grabbed the opposite weapon and ripped them off his body, holding them in a feral stance.

At the start of the battle, Rin shot two small red balls of energy at the Humanoid Grimm. However, the creature ducked the shots and rushed towards her. The twin-tailed girl didn't move as she watched him approach at high speed.

Right before the Humanoid Grimm was a few feet from Rin, out of the corner of its right eye, Artoria intercepted him and swung her inviable sword downward. The shadowy person caught the invisible sword between his blades in his right hand. Rin fired a third shot at the creature, but it deflected it with its blade in its left hand.

The Humanoid Grimm then aimed to strike Artoria with its left-handed weapon but noticed Shirou approaching. The tired haired boy swung down with both of his blades. But again, the creature blocked the attack with his own bladed weapon. The shadowy person growled in a rage as it felt embolized.

The creature then turned its head to see Sakura approaching from behind, charging as she held the lancer in her hand. The purple haired girl plunged the spear into its back, causing the shadowy person to whale in pain. The curved head of the spear coiled around the creature's body, locking it into place. Rin aimed for a fourth shot now, feeling more confident in the shot hitting.

The Humanoid Grimm's eye turned slightly red. He twisted his body to the left, causing the pole of the lance to collide with Sakura's body and having her let go of the weapon. That causing Sakura's body to fall into Artoria's body. The king of Knights caught her, then quickly noticed a strike incoming from the shadowy person. She jumped back to avoid the hit and held Sakura in her left arm.

However, once she landed, Artoria heard something approaching her from behind. She turned to see the black pile of sludge from before, moving on its own, "What!" She said to herself as it quickly expanded in and overshadowed the two. Artoria then tossed Sakura out of the reach of the slim. Sakura turned back to see the black blob cover the King of Knights, struggling to break free of the slim as it covered her body.

"Professor!" Shirou shouted in fear, causing the humanoid Grimm turned back to him, starring him in the eyes. He pushed the red-haired boy back with his weapons before unleashing a barrage of slashes. Shirou tried to parry the hits, but quickly felt overwhelmed. Rin no longer had a clear shot as had a line of sweat come down her face. Suddenly, the shadowy person landed a hit on Shirou's left arm, forming a large gash from his forearm to his hand. Unable to hold the black blade, he drops it to his side. Shirou looked on as the creature was about to unleash a killing blow with the weapon in its right hand.

However, Rin fired a shot in the Humanoid Grimm's right hand. She blasted the weapon out of his hand and regains its attention. The shadowy person rushed towards Rin again, this time getting much closer than before. the twin-tailed girl tried to fire another shot, but the creature had a new plan this time. He tossed the weapon in his left hand like a boomerang. Quickly, Rin adjusted her aim to shoot the weapon out of midair. She managed to destroy the projectile with her blast, but the aftermath created a small dust cloud in front of her. She shields her eyes for a split second, losing sight of the Humanoid Grimm. At that moment, the shadowy person increased his speed as he tightened his left fist. Once close enough, he unleashed a devastating hook to the right side of Rin's skull. The twin-tailed girl had a look of horror before she was sent flying a few feet back, skidding on her back against the ground.

Her body slide just near the edge of the large crater, her eyes closed as blood dripped from her forehead. At the bottom of the pit, a pack of the Beowolves looked up at the body. Their mouths watered as they began to claw up towards the uncurious girl, "Rin!" Shirou called as he ran to her. However, the Humanoid Grimm stood in his path. Just as the creature was about to attack, Sakura snuck up from behind and grabbed her spear. The Shadowy person flailed in anger as he felt the spear dig in a little further into his body.

Suddenly, Shirou's perception of time seemed to slow down. He saw his two teammates and professor in dire saturations. His mind went thought ever scenario that could possibly happen from his next move. He could rescue Rin, saving her from the gruesome fate by the bowls of the Grimm. However, he knew Sakura would not last long against the Humanoid Grimm alone. He could try to help her against the shadowy creature now, but Rin would fall into the pit. Shirou then looked over to the black slim that covered Artoria's whole body, still seeing that she was fighting to break free of it. He could try and break her free somehow, and the two could possibly take on the creature, but it would suffer the cost of both his teammates. "I can't save everyone…" The red-haired boy said as he froze in shock.

"Shirou!" Sakura called out to him as she struggled to hold her grip on the lance, "Help my sister!" Shirou then looked over to see Rin starting to slip over the edge. He sprinted towards her, dropping his white blade in the process. The red-haired boy dived for her as Rin's body just fell over the edge. At the last second, he extended his right arm and caught her right wrist. His body hung half over the edge as he tried to prevent both from falling into the pit. They managed to just stay out of reach from the Grimm, but just barely.

The Humanoid Grimm quickly turned its body to grab the lance. He pulled it out of its body as Sakura took a few steps back. The purple haired girl had a look of fear in her eyes, tried to keep the creatures focus on her. She looked over to were Artoria was, the movement under the black slime almost stopped. Suddenly, the shadowy person grabbed her by the throat. Lifting Sakura into the air as she struggled to breathe. He then tossed her back towards the pit, passing by her teammates as fell into the large crater.

"Sakura!" Shirou yelled as he reached for her left with his left hand, catching her just in time. However, he felt a rush of pain from his injured arm. He tried to hold onto both his teammates but started to feel himself slipping off the edge. Shirou closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he tried to find the strength to pull them both up.

Sakura looked up at the red-haired boy in pain, but knowing he was not going to let go, "Shirou…" Sakura said softly as she looked at his face. Suddenly, she had a slight smile before she slipped out of his weakened handed.

"No!" Shirou said as he opened his eyes, seeing Sakura fall to the bottom of the pit and into the reach of the Grimm. The look of horror filled his eyes as he saw the life of his teammate torn apart by the fangs of the creatures. His tears began to form in his eyes before falling into the pit. Shirou started to pull up Rin before they would fall in as well.

The Humanoid Grimm slowly approached the two students from behind, his eyes full of a sickening desire to eliminate them. Suddenly, he turned his head back to the black pile of sludge. The blob expanded before popping into small piece. At the center of the explosion of wind was Arturia, who was breathing heavily as she glared at the shadowy person, "This conflict is between you and me now." She said in anger as she reposed her invisible weapon.

The Humanoid Grimm growled before its body began to shapeshift as if it was suddenly engulfed in black fire. The body grew and expanded, forming into the shape of a Beowolf with no bone attachments. The eyes changed to a pure red with a terrifying mouth forming, roaring at the King of Kings. The shadowy creature rushed Artoria, trying to slash against her body.

However, Arturia parried the hit and dodged the next. She moved away from the pit as she avoided the shadowy creature, "In this form, you are nothing more than a normal Grimm." She taunted the creature, but her face remained emotionless, "It was only the shock of what you were before that gave you an advantage at the start." She said before jumping over the shadowy creature to avoid an attack, landing a few feet behind him, "You do not deserve the to see my blade…. but," The King of Knights said before pointing her inviable sword. Suddenly, a golden light covered the weapon, revealing its shape in its brilliance, "If that is your final move. I will show you mine." She said as light particles gathered around the blade. The shadowy creature roared before it rushed in, unfazed or unaware of the income attack. Artoria was also unfazed as the light violently radiated from the sword. Reeling the sword back as she focused on her target, "Excalibur!" Arturia shouted as she slashed downward, creating a large beam of light to erupt out of her weapon. The beam of light collided with the shadowy creature's body, evaporating it as the light ripped through its body. The beam continued to obliterate the landscape as it traveled outside the town for what looked like a quarter of a mile.

Once the light faded, Arturia looked at the destroyed land, hear nothing but the wind. She sighed in relief before running back to the large crater. She looked over to see Shirou sitting far away from the edge of the pit, holding the uncurious Rin in his arms. "Where is Sakura?" Artoria said with a look of confusion for a second before realizing what happened.

"It's my fault," Shirou said to as he looked down at Rin, "I couldn't save Sakura." Tears began to reform in his eyes, "How am I going to tell her?"

"Shirou," Arturia said as she knelt in front of him, placing her right hand on his left shoulder. He looked up to see her with a serious expression on her face, "It was not your fault." She said with the utmost certainty in her words, "Sakura would not blame you for what you did, nor should you blame yourself."

Shirou's mind then went back to his last memory of Sakura and the last thing she said. He looked away from Artoria and looked back to Rin, "Please professor," He said in a remorseful voice, "Don't call me Shirou."

 **AN: There you go, that's my reasoning for why Archer doesn't want to be called Shirou anymore, (He doesn't go by Emiya either because of the conversation he has with his dad after this event. I didn't include it in this flashback because I already talked about it enough before in Chapter 11). You also see Arturia and Avenger, as well as Rin and Sakura. Again, this was seven years from the current events, so you'll have to see how they changed since then, (Also, the events Mordred talked about were one year ago form the current time of events. That was when Arturia went missing). Finally, this also alludes to the main antagonist of this story and their plan for the Kingdom of Apocrypha's downfall. This was a dark chapter, so the next one may be a bit light-hearted to balance things out. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	15. Chapter 14 - Forging of Bonds

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has some of my favorite dialogue I have written in a while. I really like the way I establish some characters here and give you some cool moments. This one does have a slight spoiler for Mash if you don't know a bit about her origin. Well, it isn't a spoiler, but a way I chose to connect her to another character in this series' world. (Also, I had someone asking about Sieg. I don't have him in the story, but I have Siegfried. In this series context, Sieg attend this academy a long time ago and eventfully grew up to be Siegfried). Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 14 – Forging of Bonds**

 _Pyrrha._

Pyrrha and Jaune waited near the east entrance to Chaldea, sitting on a nearby bench. The male Arc looked on his scroll while the red-haired warrior looked to the main entrance to the school, waiting for someone to come out from behind the doors, "With a mission like this, we finally get to see Mash and Jeanne's combat outfits." Pyrrha said with a smile, "I wonder what weapons they use?"

"You're starting to sound like Ruby," Jaune said with a slight chuckle, "Anyway, Mashu said she is a Shielder Class. So, I'm guessing she uses a shield." His expression changed to befuddlement as a thought came to his mind, "And Jeanne is a Ruler Class. So, that would me she uses…a ruler?"

"That doesn't make sense," Pyrrha said as she turned back to her team leader, her expression slightly angry, "Also, how do you not know what weapon your sister uses?"

"What, that type of thing doesn't come up in conversation that much?" Jaune said in defense as he looked away from his scroll, "We mostly just talk about normal stuff like what happened last week, or how classes are going, or who we meet at school."

"Did you tell her about when you vomited on the airship to Beacon?" Pyrrha asked, "Or that time Carden stuffed you in a locker and shot you into the sky?"

"No," Jaune responded as he sighed, "I try to leave out those stories."

A silence fell between the two as they waited. Suddenly, Pyrrha had a thought as she looked at Jaune, "Does your sister know about the way you got into really Beacon?" She whispered with Jaune quickly looking back at her.

"No, she doesn't." He responded, trying to keep his voice quiet, "Please, you can't tell anyone that I lied to get into Beacon, especially her. They would kick me out and she would never forgive me."

"Don't worry, I already promised you back at Beacon I wouldn't tell anyone so long as you keep training with me." Pyrrha responded with a smile, "Besides, you got into this school without cheating. When you got your class card made, nothing went wrong, and you got one of the best classes." Her commented caused a smile to form on the male Arc's face, a hint of a tear in his eyes, "You should be proud of all your hard work."

"Thank you Pyrrha," Jaune said as he quickly rubbed his eyes, "I owe it all to you."

"Don't thank me, it was all your hard work that eventually paid off," Pyrrha responded before hearing someone approach. She turned back towards the entrance to see their roommates in their battle attire.

Mash wore a deep blue armor set with a light blue lining and a metal skirt. However, the armor did not seem to cover her shoulders or most of her upper thigh. In her right hand, she carried around shield as tall as her body. The shield seemed to be made of the same metal and was in the shape of a cross. Fou was not with her, most likely back to her owner's room.

Falling the shielder class servant was Jeanne. The female Arc had armor protecting her forearms feet, and stomach. On her forehead was what looked like a large metal accessory in the shape of an 'M.' She had what looked like a dress the covered her body in a blueish purple fabric. On her left side was a sheathed sword, one that was much thinner than Jaune's own. In her right hand, she carried a large flag with a rolled up white banner, "Sorry for the wait." Jeanne said as she and Mash walked over to the others.

"It's okay," Jaune responded, "With how advanced this school is, I would have thought you could just change into your combat gear like how you could summon your weapons."

"Oh, we can do that." Mash responded, "It's just yesterday was laundry day." Her comment caused Jaune to have a look of confusion, while his teammate walked over to his sister.

"So, you use a sword," Pyrrha said before her eyes relocated back to looking at the weapon in Jeanne's right hand, "And a flag?"

"Well, it's not a cool as some of the weapons Jaune has told me he has seen. It doesn't turn into anything." Jeanne responded, "But I like it and make do just fine."

"No, I didn't mean to say it's not cool. It's…interesting." Pyrrha said before turning to Mash, "And I love your shield. It's…big."

"Thank you." Mash said, "I noticed you use a shield also when you fought Gilgamesh."

"I do, it's a good option for defense when you need it. That's something we have in common." Pyrrha said before looking back at Jeanne, "And it looks like we have a similar taste for fashion." She said as she pointed to her own headpiece, "I guess neither of us like piercings."

"Yes, I guess you're right," Jeanne said with a slight giggle, "You know, Jaune wanted to get his ear pierced when he turned thirteen." Her laughter got a little louder, "But after we made the hole, his right ear swelled up to the size of an apple." She laughed, causing Mash and Pyrrha to giggle in response. Jaune groaned as he stood up.

"I thought I asked you not to share stories like that with my friends before we got here." The male Arc said as the laughter went down, "You promised."

"I'm sorry, that one slipped out." Jeanne responded, "Anyway, I think our teachers will be here at any moment."

"Teachers?" Pyrrha commented, "I thought you said we only had one?"

"Well, technically this is a co-taught class," Jeanna said as Mash's expression changed to slightly. Her face dropped as her eyes slightly filled with sadness, "However, only one of the professors teaches, while the other-"

"He doesn't talk!" Mash interrupted, causing Jaune and Pyrrha to look at her in concern, "I mean, he changed his class from saber to berserker. Doing something like that can alter your behavior and personality." The shielder's voice had a hint of sorrow as she spoke putting on a fake smile, "He's still a good person, he just doesn't talk."

"Then, why would he do something like that?" Jaune asked, but Mash didn't respond. Rather, she didn't want to give her reason.

Jeanne had a look of regret at her previous comment. She looked near the gate two men approaching, "Oh look, there are own teachers now." She pointed with Jaune and Pyrrha now noting the two.

Both men had on knight set armor. However, one was white with a floral pattern on his chest piece. While the other was black with a helmet on that had a red visor. The white clade knight did not have on a helmet, he had a clam smile he walked towards the group. His blond hair matched that of Jaune's, "Hello, we apologize for the wait." He said with the only sound from the black clade knight being heavy breathing.

"Wait a second," Jaune said as he looked at the white clade knight. His eyes soon widened with joy. He ran over to him with a smile on his face, "You're Gawain!" He said to the white clade knight, "You were one of the members of the amazing Team Round Table."

"Yes, I am," Gawain responded.

"I'm your biggest fan. You were one of the inspirations for me to become a hunter." Jaune said in a jubilant voice before, "I even choose to make my armor set look like yours, kind of."

"Well, I am certainly faltered." Gawain responded, "I read your profile and noticed something about you in my findings."

"Really?" Jaune said with hesitation.

"Yes, you are a failure," Gawain responded, the smile on the male Arc's face fading. Pyrrha overheard the comment, he expression changed to rage. She began to walk over to the white clade knight, but Jeanne stops her by grabbing her right shoulder with her left hand. When Pyrrha turned back to the female Arc, Jeanne shook her head with a confident smile. Pyrrha then looked back to Gawain and Jaune in confusion, "You see Jaune, failure is the best kind of student. If you succeed in something the first try, every time. Then, what have you learned?" His smile then became calmer as he looked down on Jaune, "But if you failed ten times, you have more experience than the person who succeeded. When you finally do master something, it is even more satisfying. You have far more potential as a failure than as a prodigy for greatness." Gawain then placed his right hand across his chest, slightly bowing, "I look forward to training you on your journey." Jaune's smile returned, along with a squeal of glee.

Pyrrha then looked back at Jeanne with a smile, "Professor Gawain has a certain way with words. He can be very blunt at times, but he always means well."

"I see, I guess that's part of why Jaune looked up to him." Pyrrha said, "I'm guessing it was you that made sure he got into a class with this teacher." She said with Jeanne giving a slight wink as she put her right finger to her lips, making a shushing sound. Pyrrha then looked over to see the black clade knight, seeing Mash walk over to him. The shielder had a slight smile on her face as she looked up at the man. However, the black clade knight had no words as he looked down at her, "What is it with those two?"

"That is Lancelot." Jeanne responded, "He is Mash's father."

"He is!" Pyrrha replied, looking back to see Lancelot not reacting, "But, why is he acting this way to his daughter."

"He's not acting, this is what can happen if you class change to a berserker. It's just like Mash said." Jeanne said as she had a look of sorrow towards the father and daughter, "But, she didn't tell you why." The female arc then looked back to the red-haired warrior, "You see, Mash's mother went missing a year ago and Lancelot fell into a depression. He though a way to cope was to make himself this. He is still cognitive, but far less than what he was before."

"That's so sad." Pyrrha commented, "I guess Mash doesn't really like to talk about it."

"No, she doesn't," Jeanne said as she looked back to the shielder. Mash grabbed her father's right hand, walking with him into the distance with a slight smile, "But she still does love him all the same."

"Okay, students." Gawain said, "Let's head over to the stables for our mission." He walked the same path at Lancelot and Mash, Jaune followed close behind. Pyrrha and Jeanne nodded to each other and caught up to their friends quickly.

Weiss

The heiress stayed in the courtyard as she waited for her roommate. She had a bored expression as she looked at her scroll. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind behind her, followed by a flurry of rose petals falling on the table. Weiss sighed as she turned around, "Ruby, did you forget something?" She said as she turned around. However, Weiss was astonished to see it was not her team leader, rather the Emperor of Roses, "Oh, sorry."

"You!" Nero said in an enraged voice, slightly winded as she breathed heavily, "You're one of the new students, right?"

"I am, my name is Weiss Schnee." The heiress responded, her expression somewhat cold as she looked at Nero.

"Where is she?" Nero asked.

"Who?" Weiss questioned.

"The girl with the ability to spontaneously create rose petal!" Nero replied, almost yelling the response, "Her name was Ruby something."

"You mean, Ruby Rose?" Weiss answered, causing Nero to gasp at learning her targets last name.

"Her last name is Rose!" Nero said before gritting her teeth, "Is this some type of joke!"

"What joke?" Weiss asked, "And what do you want with Ruby?"

"I want her to get rid of her ability to create rose petals," Nero replied. She then gestured with her arm to her right side, causing a small flurry of rose petals to form, "It is a skill only I can have." Weiss just starred back at the Emperor of Roses with a blank expression, "Are you not impressed?"

"Look, I roomed with the person you're talking about back at Beacon. That rose thingy is cute until you realize the mess it makes." Weiss responded as she looked away from Nero, "Our whole floor used to be coved in rose petals. And because she runs away as she leaves them behind, I have to be the one to pick them up." The heiress said as she pushed the rose petals off the table, her expression as sour as her voice, "She says she can't control it, so be my guest if you can convince her to stop it. However, I don't think you'll have much luck with how stubborn she is about it."

"You seem very callous towards someone who I assume is your partner back at your academy," Nero commented as she sat down next to the heiress.

"I don't hate her if that's what you're thinking. And she is my team leader, a rather impulsive and hyperactive leader." Weiss responded in a calmer voice, "She just so happens to get on my nerves occasionally. It's not her fault, but I wish she would think before she acts sometimes."

"I see," Nero said as she crossed her arms and nodded. She then smiled as she looked at Weiss, "I seem to have failed to introduce myself. My name is Nero Claudius." The Emperor of Roses said as she extended her right arm to the heiress. Weiss looked back at her and smiled, accepted Nero's hand, "If I recall, you said your name was Schnee. I assume you are from the famous Schnee family."

"I am, your name sounds familiar as well," Weiss responded, "Claudius is the family name of those who own a large chunk of this region. One of the major donators to this academy and most powerful family in this kingdom."

"You did your research before coming here," Nero said in an impressed voice.

"Well, I did." Weiss responded, "But my leader chose to dive in head first into this new exercise, as she does with everything." Her comment caused a slight giggle out of Nero.

"Oh, it seems the Heiress to the Schnee family does not think that highly of her leader," A male voice responded. Nero and Weiss looked to the right, seeing that the responder was Gilgamesh standing in the shade of a tree, "A curious relationship, from someone of your status to take orders to form a child."

"Gilgamesh, why are you here?" Nero responded.

The King of Heroes sighed as he walked over to the girls' table, placing his right in on his forehead as he sat across from the heiress, "My combat class left me with a bad headache. I hoped to have a drink before returning to my room." He then looked over to Weiss directly, "I have already met with a few of your friends, but I don't believe I have met your childlike leader."

"No, but she mentioned something about you before Astolfo took her into town." Weiss responded Nero had a look of disappointment at the realization of where her target was, "Apparently, you have a weapon collection of some sort."

"What I have are treasures," Gilgamesh corrected, "I have acquired them for my own wealth, not to put them on display for all mongrels to see." He said before crossing his arms the smile fading from his face, "She would have better luck asking the Faker to see his collection of forged weapons before I would show her my treasures." Weiss had a look of confusion before the smile returned to King of Heroes' face, "But enough about them. Since it looks like I am not going to be able to drink alone, why don't the two of you accompany me." He said before rising his right arms slightly, snapping his fingers.

A few feet over the center of the table, a yellow vortex appeared. Followed by three smaller vortexes. Slowly, a large craft made of gold descended from the vortex onto the center of the table. Out of the three smaller vortexes fell a golden cup. Each one landing in front of those who sat at the table. Weiss leaned in to see the gold craft was filled with wine. "They allow this type of drink on school grounds?"

Nero nodded as she made a cute grunt, "They are less strict about it here as opposed to the other kingdoms." Nero said as she poured herself a glass, "If you're old enough to fight embodiments of evil to protect your land, you're old enough to drink a little wine." The Emperor of Roses then sipped her drink, her eyes glittering at the flavor.

"Don't tell me you are another one of those who will not drink," Gilgamesh said as he poured himself a glass, "I have already had to deal with someone of that nature." He then had a slight giggle before drinking his wine, "Maybe, you are not as mature as your present yourself, Heiress of the Schnee Family."

"Okay, let's get a couple of things straight." Weiss said as she grabbed the golden craft, "First off, I have been to enough of my father's company events to have had a glass of wine." The heiress poured the wine into her golden cup, "Second, don't compare me to Ruby. She is my team leader and good friend, that means I'm the only one who gets to talk about her as a child. I'm sure if you offered her this wine, she would have mistaken it for grape juice and spit it immediately." The heiress then sniffed the wine, not drinking it, "If I had to guess, this is a Merlot." Gilgamesh smiled as he remained quiet as the heiress sipped her drink, "Given the flavor, I would say this is about ten years old. Making it a prime age for the wine and something for one of expensive taste." She then put her cup down on the table, "However, I prefer white wine over red. Something of a sauvignon blanc is my beverage of choice." Gilgamesh broke out into laughter as Nero looked in shock, Weiss expression remained stern, "Now, what is so funny?"

"Oh nothing," Gilgamesh said as he calmed down, "I was just not expecting so many of these transfer students to provide me with such varying forms of entrainment." He then picked up his cup with his right, rising it slightly as he looked the heiress, "You truly are the Queen of White." He said before snapping with his left hand. Suddenly another small yellow vortex appeared next to Weiss cup. Falling out of the vortex was another glass, this one filled with white wine, "Feel free to pour the other cup out and enjoy the beverage of your liking."

Weiss smiled as she picked up the new golden cup, "Queen of White? Well, it's better than my other nickname." She said before sipping the white wine.

"Was it, Ice Queen?" Nero asked.

"Yes," Weiss responded in slight shock, "How did you know?"

"Oh, I just guessed," Nero said with a smile before sipping her red wine. Weiss had a look of annoyance as Gilgamesh had a slight chuckle.

In the distance, Maria Antoinette looked at the table out of sight of the three. Accompany the idol queen were two gentlemen. One was a man with white disheveled hair and a dark trench coat. Other had long blond hair and rather feminine physic. He had on a light blue and teal attire, a blue wide brim hat with a pink frill, and a white cape which had a shape reminiscent of a lily flower, "Is that the girl you told us about, Milady?" The feminine man said with Maria nodding, "Why is she hanging out with those two?"

"Nero and Gilgamesh aren't this friendly with new people." The man in the dark trench coat responded, "How did this happen?"

"I don't know Sanson, I only left her for a moment." Maria responded as she could tell the three were talking, "I thought she would have a hard time making friends here."

"We heard about what happened in that class," Sanson added as he put his hands in his pockets, "However, that seems pretty becoming of someone from the Schnee family."

"It's wrong to judge a person based on the connotation assassinated with the family," Maria responded with slight anger in her voice, "I wanted you three to meet so you could see her for who she really is."

"My apologies, Milady," Sanson responded as he bowed his head.

"Should we introduce ourselves then," The feminine man responded, "I mean, they seem to be in the middle of a conversation."

Maria looked back at the three, noticing a slight smile on Weiss face as she talked, "You're right, d'Eon," The idol queens said with a smile before turning back to the two gentlemen, "They are having a friendly conversation, I can introduce both of you to Weiss another time." She then walked past the two back into a hallway, "For now, let's head to the cafeteria. I think they are serving sweets now anyway." She said with Sanson and d'Eon sighing before they followed their team leader.

 **AN: And there you go, Weiss makes a few unexpected friends and gets her new nickname. I have I say I like writing for Weiss a lot more in this series as it's gone on. She is a bit more confident in herself and abilities here than in the show, that's my intention. I liked making her status something she uses to her advantage rather than something she regrets, (She still feels the same way about her family, I just like to show it a different way here). And you have Mash in this story being Lancelot's daughter, people who know her backstory can put together why it works. Also, you can tell from the context clues who her mother is, (This is also part of why Mash is paired with Mordred on a team. Mordred is older than Mash and their relationship is directly meant to be compared and foiled to Yang and Ruby's) Having Lancelot in this state is sad, but it is a real way for me to emphasize in this story why changing to a berserker is a big deal. He doesn't have his insanity to the level of Fate/Zero because he was depressed when he changed classes. We had a few other characters introduced, but more on them will come in the future. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 15 - Announcing Themselves

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and for allowing this story to reach so many favorites and followers. A couple of new characters are shown off in this one, as well as a major entity is displayed here. As I said, I like to start things off slow and build up to the big events. We're almost out of the introduction ark of this story and will be moving into the next phase soon. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 15 – Announcing Themselves**

 _Emerald._

Back near the beach shoreline, Emerald sat next to a tree in the shade. She groaned as both her hands covered her stomach, "Oww, really shouldn't have eaten that fish." She mumbled to herself.

"Are you okay?" She looked to see Jekyll walking to her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of a pinkish liquid, "If your stomach is bothering you, I brought some bismuth subsalicylate just in case something like this would happen."

"Thanks," Emerald said as she grabbed the bottle, "Where is everyone now? I dozed off a bit after eating." She asked as she unscrewed the bottle cap.

"Well, I know those two have been busy," Jekyll said as he pointed over to the female berserkers atop a gigantic sandcastle, towering over fifteen feet tall. They both stood proud atop their creation, laughing as they looked towards the sea, "It's good that they are getting along well, Frankenstein has a hard time talking to new people."

"I wonder why," Emerald sarcastically said under her breather before dinking the pinkish liquid. When she finished, she turned back to the assassin in glasses, "What about the others?"

"Drake took them to comb the area one last time before we head out." Jekyll said before sitting down next Emerald, "If it's not too much trouble, I was a wonder if I could talk with you about your teammate, Neopolitan."

"I..uhhh." Emerald said before drinking out of the bottle, "Crap, I don't know anything about that girl. She never talks except through texts." The green haired assassin thought before finished the bottle, "Maybe I can bluff my way out of this," She thought before passing him the empty bottle, "Sure, what do you want to know?" she said aloud.

"Well, I know we just meet the other night." Jekyll said before a smile formed on his face, "But she is an incredible person. I have never felt a connection with someone so quickly."

"If it helps, I think she likes you also," Emerald responded.

"That's the thing," Jekyll said as the smile become less confident, "I don't know if she likes Jekyll or Hyde."

"Hyde?" Emerald said before she remembered her fight with the assassin in glasses. His attempt to stab her and the insane look in his eyes, "Oh, him." Emerald said in displeasure, "Aren't you two the same person?"

"We are, technically, but it's complicated." Jekyll responded in an unsure voice, "But I don't know which one Neopolitan is interested in. It's a bit of an awkward question for me to ask." He then had a slight amount of blush on his face, "I was wondering if you could-"

"What, ask her which one she is attracted to?" Emerald asked with a slight giggle, "Why don't you just pass her note during study hall?" She said before getting up and walking away, "If you want my advice, why don't you man up a bit."

Jekyll had a somewhat shocked expression as looked to the sand. Slowly, he took off his glasses before Emerald goes more than a few feet away, "You want me to man up, okay!" Emerald heard Jekyll say to her, turning to him in anger. However, that soon changed to fear as she saw the insanity in his eyes and disheveled hair, "I offered you aid and this is how you repay me?" Hyde said as he reached behind his back, "How about I gut you and drain your stomach of the bismuth subsalicylate. Maybe that is a better way to ease your pain?"

"Wait wait wait wait!" Emerald said in a panic, ceasing Hyde's movements, "Maybe I overreached a bit there, I'm sorry. I'm not used to the whole school drama things." She said as Hyde's expression did not change, causing her to put on a fake smile, "I'll talk with her later, okay?"

Hyde smiled before pulling out what was behind his back, causing emerald to take a step back. However, she soon noticed it was his glasses, not his knight. As he put them on, he adjusted his hair to the cleaner look of before, "Thank you, Emerald." Jekyll said with an innocent smile, "And I apologize for Hyde's crude words."

"Oh…no problem." Emerald said as she slowly back away from him, "If you'll excuse me, I need to…just…be alone for a second." She said as she continued to walk away. Jekyll nodded before sitting back down, resting his back against the tree. Emerald quickly walked away from the assassin in glasses, letting out a sigh of relief.

 _Nora._

"I wonder what those two were talking about?" Nora said as she watched Emerald and Jekyll from atop the sandcastle.

"Uu?" Frankenstein responded, "Au." She said with a smile.

"Yeah, we made a pretty cool castle." The orange-haired berserker said as she turned back to her roommate, "But you know what every castle need?"

"Aa?" Frankenstein responded.

"No, but that's always nice." Nora responded, "It's a queen."

"Au...Uu?" The girl in the wedding dress asked.

"I know there is only supposed to one queen, but we built this castle together. That makes us like Co-queens." Nora responded as she smiled, "Now, we need to act like queens." She said as she put her to put a hand on her hips, holding her head high, "We have the high ground, that means we have to lord it over people."

"Aa," Frankenstein responded before looking over to Jekyll. "Au!" She called over to him, getting his attention, "Ha! Ur…Aa! Uh!" The girl in the wedding dress said as Jekyll had a look of disgust and shock.

"Uhh…Fran," Nora said in an embarrassed voice, "You don't have to say that, a queen doesn't say those things."

"Uh," Frankenstein replied to Nora before looking back to Jekyll and waving, "Aaa!" The assassin in glasses had an uneasy expression as he waved back.

"You see, a queen is the most elegant and powerful person in the castle. Everyone listens to the queen, even the king." Nora said as she held her head high, "At least, that's what I was told when I was a kid."

"Aaaa." Frankenstein commented, "Uh?"

"Mom? Yeah, she told me that's how a queen behaves." Nora said with a smile; however, her eyes showed a hint of sadness, "She always told me stories about queens, saying how good of a life they had." Frankenstein noticed Nora still smiling, but the hint of a tear in her right eye, "She said that no matter how rough things would get, I would be a queen one day and everything would be happy." The orange-haired berserker then wiped her eyes as she continued, "Sorry, I just-"

"Aa," Frankenstein said with a smile.

"Thanks, Fran," Nora said as she smiled back. She clapped her hands together as she continued, "Now, let me show you how to act like a queen." She said before putting her hands back on her hips, holding her chest high, and raising her head back, "Hahaha, I'm Queen of the castle! I'm Queen of the castle!" Nora announced as she looked towards the body of water. She then turned her head slightly to her roommate, "Now you."

"Ua!" Frankenstein nodded before mimicking Nora's stance, "Hahaha. UuwrriiAa! UuwrriiAa!" the girl in the wedding dress declared before turning back to back to the orange-haired berserker.

"There you go!" Nora responded with a smile, "Now together."

"Ua," Frankenstein said with a nod.

The two berserkers took a deep breath as they spoke aloud, "Hahaha, we're Queens of the castle! We're Queens of the castle!" Nora shouted, "Hahaha AuwrriiAa! AuwrriiAa!" Frankenstein said at the same time. The two then laughed together as they looked at the sea.

"Hey!" They heard someone calling out to them, turning to see it was Drake with the rest of the class, "You two having fun!?" She called out as she approached the castle.

"Yeah," Nora said as she jumped down from the large sandcastle, "We were just waiting for everyone to get back."

"Well, the wait is over," Drake said as she smiled. Behind her were the last members of the group. Neo walked beside Robin Hood, as Kiyohime walked next to Ren. However, the draconic faunus had her left arm coiled around Ren's left arm. Kiyohime looked at the orange-haired berserker with a smile as her eyes remained half open. Nora put on a fake smile as her right eye twitched slightly. Frankenstein jumped down from the castles as Jekyll walked over to the group. Drake turned to see Emerald walking out from the forest, "Now then, lets head out on part two of our field trip." The female pioneer said before pointing out to the ocean, "We're heading out to sea."

"What?" Emerald said as she rejoined the group, "How are we going to do that?"

"With my ship," Drake responded candidly.

"What ship!?" Ren replied. Drake smiled before she raised her right hand. Suddenly, a huge vortex appeared before the group. It stretched for a quarter of the shoreline and was far taller than any of the trees. As Drake slowly lowered her hand in a forward motion, a large sailing ship started to emerge from the vortex. The vessel was made wood with a dark brown and red paint job. A large cannon was mounted on the mast of the ship and the sail was already hoisted. Once the full body of the ship was visible, it dropped into the water, "Oh, that ship." Ren stated in a deadpan voice.

"Coooool!" Nora said as her eye glowed in amazement, "How can you do that?"

"I'm a Rider Class," Drake responded with a smile.

"That doesn't answer the question," Emerald commented.

"Don't worry about it," Drake said as she walked towards the water. Like the ship, three small boats with oars out of a yellowish vortex appeared in front of her, "Now, we have spent enough time on land. Let's head out to see while the day is still young." The female pioneer said before jumping into one of the rowboats, "Now, pick three to a boat." She said before pointing to Ren and Jekyll, "You two are with me and I'm not the one rowing." She said with a smile while they sighed.

As the two boys entered the boat with Drake, Robin sat in the one with Neo and Emerald on their boat, "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't row." He said with a smile. Emerald had a giggle in her smile as Neo looked at him in confusion, tilting her head to the left. A line of sweat formed on the orange-haired thief's face as the pint-sized girl continued to stare, "Uh, your friend has been looking at me that way for a while now." Robin said to Emerald, "Do I remind her of someone?"

"No," Emerald responded before glaring at Neo, "He doesn't look like anyone we know, right?" the green-haired assassin said as Neo looked back at her in confusion.

Back near the third boat, the three berserkers all looked at each other in a stare down, "You can't expect me to row?" Kiyohime responded.

"Fran and I are tired from making our sandcastle," Nora responded, "How about you do something to help out for once instead of making groggily eyes at Ren."

"Aa!" Frankenstein agreed.

"That's your fault, not mine." Kiyohime said before she smiled, "And you are just jealous that Ren and I are getting closer in one day than you ever got."

"Don't make this about him!" Nora commented.

"Aa!" Frankenstein agreed also.

"You're the one that brought him up." The draconic faunus said as she smiled.

"Yeah…well…shut-up!" Nora responded in anger, know the mistake in her word choice, "Fine, I'll row." She said before getting in the boat and picking up the oars. Frankenstein had a look worry for a second as she joined her roommate. However, Nora gave her a slight smile as winked out of sight of draconic faunus.

"See, you just need to know your role here," Kiyohime said before she was about to get in the boat. However, Nora already had her oar in the water. Suddenly, she thrust the oar, creating a large splash of water that hit the draconic faunus, "Wha!" Kiyohime screamed before looking over a Nora.

"Whoops, my bad," Nora said as Frankenstein was trying to hide her laughter.

"You did that on purpose!" Kiyohime responded before getting in the boat. Nora just smiled as she started to row towards their destination.

Upon arrival, the group got off the rowboats and boarded the ship. Near the wheel of the ship rested a large, black, cured-rim hat. The outline of it looked to be made of a goldish fabric, the symbol on the front looked like a skull with glowing red eyes. Drake walked over to the hat, putting it on as she turned to her class, "Alright, let's set sail."

Mercury.

Back the medical center, Mercury's eyes slowly open eyes. He found himself in a state of confusion as he laid in his bed, "When did I-"

"You're awake." The grey-haired assassin heard a feminine voice call out to him. As his vision cleared, he noticed a woman sitting in a chair to the right end of his bed. She looked a few years older than him and her hair was a lighter grey in contrast to his own. Her hair was also tied to one side in a ponytail but still was long enough to reach her shoulders. She wore a white lab coat and frilled pink shirk. Her purple skirt matched her heels and she pitch black stockings. In her right hand was a small cup of vanilla pudding, while her left held the plastic spoon.

"I'm…back here?" Mercury questioned as he readjusted himself in bed.

"Yes, it seems you passed out in the room of the little girl next door." The woman said before dipping her spoon in the pudding, "If I had to guess, you expelled so much vile after not eating anything your body shut down due to the pain." She then ate a spoonful of putting.

"What does that mean exactly?" Mercury asked as she swallowed the pudding.

"You vomited so much you passed out." The woman responded, "Lucky for you, I was walking by when I heard the thud you made falling unto the bathroom floor." She then put the spoon in the cup of pudding and pointed to a table on Mercury's left side. He looked to discover a tray of food of a cut of some white meat, a bowl of mashed potatoes with a spork, a carton of orange juice, and a small portion of peas. However, the grey-haired assassin noticed an obvious void in the tray, as if something was there but taking out before he awoke. He then realized the absence of a desert, before turning back to glare at the cup of pudding in the woman's hand, "I brought you that eat. That should help with your condition."

"Thanks," Mercury said with a sigh before picking up the spork, "I didn't get your name."

"My name is Caren Hortensia." The woman responded as Mercury began to eat, "I teach Medical Class at this academy, but also act as the nurse when I'm in the mood."

"In the mood?" Mercury commented, "They allow that?"

Caren shrugged before she picked up her spoon, "It was lucky for you I was in the mood when I was walking by." She said before having another spoonful of pudding.

"Yeah well, lucky isn't how I would describe myself after coming here." Mercury said in a slightly angered voice, "I've been bet-up, humiliated, traumatized, threated, and woke up in the medial center twice in one day." He then turned back to the nurse, "Does that sound lucky to you."

Caren finished her pudding before answering, "At least it sounds interesting." She said before starring at Mercury's legs, "Would you mind telling me what happened to your legs?" She said with the grey-haired assassin having a look of confusion, "I could tell when carrying you that they were artificial."

"Oh, I got into a car accident a few years ago," Mercury said before going back to eating his food.

"Is that so," Caren responded as she glared at the grey-haired assassin. She then shrugged as she got up, taking the last spoonful of pudding, "Well, that was my only question. I'll let him talk to you now."

"Him?" Mercury asked, but Caren paid him no mind. She tossed out the cup of pudding and spoon in the trash bin before exiting the room.

After a few minutes, the door reopened. Mercury leaned over to see a tall man entering. He wore an open, purple long-coat over pitch black dress clothes. Around his neck was a gold cross. His brown hair was longer in the back than in the front and he a calm smile as he looked at the grey-haired assassin, "I see you are in good health, Mercury Black."

"Uh, thanks?" Mercury responded, "Who are you?"

The tall man smiled as he walked over to the chair, picking it up, "I am Kirei Kotomine, Head of the Church at this academy." He said before placing the chair to Mercury's right side, closer to his upper body. Mercury had an uneased look as Kirei sat down, "Do not be alarmed, I only wished to ask you a few questions?"

"Okay…" Mercury responded.

"Now, with a name like Mercury Black." The head of the church said as he crossed his left leg over his right, "Are you related to the assassin, Marcus Black?" He said with Mercury's eyed slightly widening. Kirei noticed the reaction to the name and smiled, closing his eyes in the process, "I take that as a yes." He responded as the grey-haired assassin tighten his right fist, "As I said, you have no reason to be alarmed. Being the son of an assassin is not grounds for punishment here. In fact, a number of our students have a similar background to yours."

"So, then what are you getting at?" Mercury responded.

"I would like to know what became of him?" the head of the church responded, "According to a colleague of mine, he has been inactive for a few years now. He noted that Marcus Black was not the type for vacations or any form of laziness." Kirei then reopened his eyes, "Maybe you can shed some light on what happened to him."

"You really want to know?" Mercury angrily responded, "He's dead."

"I see, I am sorry for your loss," Kirei responded as he bowed his head.

"Don't be," Mercury said as he looked away returning to his food, "Just because he was my father doesn't me he cared for me like one."

"I see," Kirei said as he raised his head, "Tell me, did you see him die or did you discover his corpse?"

"What type of question is that?" Mercury said with his mouth half full of food, "Are you trying to accuse me of something."

"I am not here for a confession, Mercury Black." Kirei responded, "Just a few simple answers."

"Yeah well, I'm not in the mood anymore." The grey-haired assassin said before swallowing, "Now, can you please leave me alone."

"Very well, I don't see this conversation going any further in your current state," Kirei said as he stood up. Once he walked away, he stopped near the door and looked back at Mercury, "I hope you know the church is always open if you are in the mood to talk again." He was answered with silence from the grey-haired assassin.

Kirei closed his eyes before exiting the room. He walked out only a few feet before stopping, letting the door close behind him. A slight smile formed on his face before he spoke, "So, how was your mission?" The head the church said as he turned his head to the right, noticing a man leaning against the wall near the door. His arms were crossed as wore a full black suit and black trench coat. He had black disheveled hair with a few grey strands. His eyes glared at Kirei in an unbroken gaze. After a few seconds of silence, the head of the church had a small chuckle in his voice, "Are you just going to stare at me, Kiritsugu Emiya."

"You knew I wanted to be the interview those two," Kiritsugu said as he uncrossed his arms, "I sent that intel to the headmaster before my arrival, but you intercepted it and acted without either of our consent. You and your apprentice could have jeopardized everything."

"I don't see why your upset, I thought it was for the best of all our interest to talk with the those two as soon as possible. After all, talking to the church is more calming than talking to an agent like you." Kirei responded before opening his eyes, glancing back at Kiritsugu with a slight smile, "Or maybe, you're upset that my apprentice still listens to me."

"Quit changing the subject," Kiritsugu said in an irritated voice, "A common thief and mute bodyguard, their false papers didn't try very hard to hide their identity. But the son of Marcus Black is an important detail to omit from Mercury's background. My guess is they didn't expect people from this land to recognize the name. And then there is Cinder Fall, the power she has is not one that was uptrained through natural means."

"Which is why I had Amakusa Shirou tell me how strong she was by compassion." Kirei responded, "Even with that power, she doesn't pose a threat to our kingdom."

"But what of the other kingdoms," The head of special operation responded, "We have the potential to stop her before any lives are lost and-"

Kirei interrupted, "There's no need for us to concern ourselves with the safety of the other kingdoms," The smile faded from his face, "They never provided us with any aid when Apocrypha was constantly invaded by Grimm. Ergo, we will not risk our people's safety in an attempt to make another enemy." He then smugly smiled as he turned his body to face Kiritsugu, "Perhaps your Hero of Justice mentality is blinding you to reason?"

"The two of you need to stop bickering," Both looked over to see Zhuge Liang walking over to them, "At any case, Kirei Kotomine is right about not needing more enemies than we already do." The headmaster said to the head of the church before turning to Kiritsugu, "Did you find any more information regarding the new breed of Grimm? Your intel didn't say anything more than the spotted areas."

"I did," The head of the special operation said before reaching into his coat pocket, "I needed to make sure you got the updated region map before you could send out student on extermination missions." He then pulled out his scroll and passed it to his superior, "The humanoid versions have been evolving over the past seven years." He said as Zhuge Liang opened the scroll, seeing a man running. The skin was pitch black, like that of a Grimm. Attached to his face was a skeletal mask, however, the bone matched that of a human's structure and the eye sockets were narrow. The creature also wore a large black cloth around his waist. The headmaster then slid the image to see another humanoid Grimm this one, this one of a more muscular build. He had a stoic expression swiped as his eyes narrowed as he swiped again to see one of a small size build. He swiped again to see one that appeared female that had long purple hair, "Not only are they adopting human concepts and characteristics. They appear to be unique form the same breed and are far more intelligent than any normal Grimm we have known before."

"Are they organized?" Zhuge Liang said as he passed back they scroll, "Do they process any form of communication skills with one another."

"I was unable to tell, I only could watch from a distance as you ordered me to avoid conflict as much as possible." Kiritsugu responded as he pocketed the scroll, "I recorded around fifty unique variations of this type of Grimm, but more may be out there. The map details were higher congregation are located."

"I see," Zhuge Liang said as he glanced over to the door to Mercury's room, noting that the door was completely shut, "This is a situation I will bring up to my advisors before we move unto the next step. We maintain keeping silent about these Grimm, especially towards students." He then looked specifically at Kiritsugu, "You have done a good job getting this information. Take some time off to go reconnect with your family."

"Understood," Kiritsugu responded with a slight nod.

"And you," Headmaster said as he turned to Kirei, "I appreciate your enthusiasm and incite in this operation. However, I will take the responsibility of these students of questionable origin and be the one to keep a watchful eye on them." Zhuge Liang reached into his pocket to pull out a box of cigarettes, "As I said, you are correct. It would not be wise to break neutral ground when they have done nothing wrong. We wait for when, or if, they make their move. That is the moment we will contain the threat."

"Of course, Headmaster." Kirei as he bowed slightly, "From what I have heard, they have been behaving themselves." He then glanced over at the head of the special operation, "Kiritsugu Emiya, I heard that your son has taken an interest in that woman you mentioned earlier. How do you feel about that?"

Kiritsugu did not respond, simply turning around and walking away from the two. Kirei had a small laugh as he watched onward, while Zhuge Liang looked to the head of the church in confusion, "You do realize, if you keep antagonizing him like that, he will shoot you." The headmaster responded, putting a cigarette in his mouth.

"Oh, it's a game we like to play." Kirei responded as he turned back the headmaster, "If he kills me, I win." He said with a smile as Zhuge Liang looked on with a blank expression.

 **AN: There you go, ended the chapter with a kind of Fate/Zero reunion. Drake takes her class on a nice little voyage. I liked giving Nora a little backstory and context in this chapter, it is fun writing her with Fran. I also am liking my take on Jekyll here, making him a bit more confident than normal, but balancing it with his unsure nature. Her and emerald had a nice little chat this chapter, this section group has a bit more of a focus on romance than the others do. Caren is a fun character and I like how I presented her here, plus I loved what she did this chapter to Mercury. I have Kirei here acting a bit cockier here, (almost Gilgamesh levels at some points). In this setting, I wanted him to be a bit less dark and menacing. He's not the villain here, just like how I'm trying to present Cinder. You also have Kiritsugu, (Some may ask why he isn't in his assassin outfit from Grand Order. I really don't like that outfit and say here he wears what he does in Zero but is a bit older). His relationship with Kirei here is simple, they both hate each other and view the world differently, but they aren't going to kill the other person, just tolerate them. And finally, you see what I'm planning to do with the Hassan. Given their concept, origin, design, and presences. What I'm doing makes a lot of sense in connection to Grimm and a very scary take on the world-building aspect here. Anyway, sorry for the long note here. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	17. Chapter 16 - Morals

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one was long because of a certain fight in the latter half. Writing the fight scene are tough and take up more time than anything else in this story. I'm trying to get better at them, making mine a lot more methodical than simplistic. Either way, I get to show off a few new characters, one of whom I know some people have wanted to see for a while. This one also has a lot of character moments I really liked to do here. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 16 – Morals**

 _Glynda._

Glynda had made her way back to the staff lounge. As she walked in, she noticed Cu Chulainn sit at one of the tables, removing the last of his bandages. Also, in the room was Bazett, who stood near the coffee maker as it was brewing. She was still in her business attire, while the blue-haired lancer returned to his casual outfit form this morning. The professor from Beacon sat across from him, causing his smile before tossing the used bandages away.

"Oh hey," Cu Chulainn said with a slight wave, "Did you find him?"

"The headmaster, yes." Glynda said before adjusting her glasses, "I also meet with another professor and some of the students in the class I will be teaching here." She then crossed her arms as she continued, "Tell me, how was your class with my students?"

"Well," Cu Chulainn said after sighing, "Ruby was definitely…resourceful in out combat training. I heard that your school's locker system was immediate, but I didn't think it was that literal." He then had a slight smile on his face, "She does have the potential to do great things but needs a lot more training."

"Her sister, Yang Xiao Long, seems to have more combat experience," Bazett said as the coffee finished brewing. She took out three mugs from the cabinet while she talked, "However, she relied on her own strength and nothing else. Never adapted to her opponent and didn't look for alternative means of combat."

"She mentioned something like that to me this morning," The blue haired lancer said to Bazett before turning back to Glynda, "You really do know your students, don't you?"

"It's my job as my professor to understand them more than they understand themselves." Glynda said with a smile, "That's the best way for me to teach them what they need to succeed." Bazett then poured the coffee, carrying the three cups to the table, and placing one in front of the professor from Beacon and one in front of the blue-haired lancer, "Thank you."

"Oh Cu!" A feminine voice called from outside the staff lounge. Glynda turned near the entrance but was slightly stunned the person was wearing. Walking into the room was a woman with long pink hair and a tiara on her head. She wore an incredibly revealing white outfit. Her white boots and gloves had black lace trim. While she had on a skirt and a garment covering some of her upper body, her abdomen and bra were still very exposed, "I found you."

"Medb, I'm not in the mood now," Cu Chulainn said in a tired voice before he was about to have a sip of his coffee. However, Medb quickly embraced him from his left side, hugging his head before his lips could react to the cup.

"I know Cu, I heard that you lost to the little girl." Medb said as her eyes were half open, smiling down at him, "But don't worry, I can make you feel better."

"I'm going to kill Archer next time I see him." Cu Chulainn said under his breath before slowly pushed the sensual woman away, causing her expression to change to an irritated pout, "Medb, I have already recovered."

"Yes, as he said, he doesn't need you," Bazett said as her eyes were closed. The professional huntress sipped her coffee. Once she finished her sip, she opened her eyes to glare at Medb, "Don't you have a class to teach now?"

"Pardon me!?" Glynda interrupted as she looked at Medb, "You're a professor at this academy? They allow you to wear something that revealing?"

"I don't see why you are so surprised," Medb said as she placed her right hand on her chest, prideful look on her face, "I'm the biology teacher. It's important for my students to have a good look at a perfect body for studying purposes." She then winked as she looked at Glynda, "I could give you a few teaching tips if you want."

"Uhh…No thank you," Glynda said before she took a large sip of her coffee.

"You would be wise to avoid any advice from her," Bazett said to Glynda, "She cares about herself and her beauty far more than the students."

"Hahaha," Medb chuckled as glanced over to the professional huntress, "At least my students aren't afraid of me like yours. Seriously, how many did you sent to the medical wing today? I would have thought you'd go easy on the new transfers. But, I guess that was giving you too much credit."

"Hahaha," Bazett chuckled back as her grip on her coffee cup tightened, "I would much rather the reputation of the tough teacher preparing her students for the hard road ahead than your reputation. What was it? Ah yes, the professor who seduces her students for good reviews so she can keep teaching."

"I'm helping them just as much as you are!" the sensual professor responded, "How else can they succeed in life if they can't talk to a beautiful girl?"

"I thought you thought biology?" Glynda commented.

"I do," Medb responded, "I teach them about the body. What parts to touch that result in the most pain or pleasure? How to use the body to your advantage in life? Also, how to get any man you want to notice you." She said as she glanced over a Cu Chulainn, focused on his coffee. Medb then smiled as she turned back to Glynda, "Would you like to sit in on one of my classes?"

"Uhh…No thank you." Glynda said before she took a large sip of her coffee, finishing off her cup, "I think I need a refill." She said as she got up to get the craft full of coffee.

Medb shrugged before turning back to the blue-haired lancer, "Anyway Cu, Drake took some of the students who would have been in my class on her little field trip." She said before sitting down next to him, "So, how about we go into town for a today and get something to eat."

"You may not be busy, but we still are." Bazett responded, "We still have a lot of paperwork to fill out since this new transfer program has started."

"She's right Medb," Cu Chulainn said with a sigh, "I didn't expect this much paperwork when I became a teacher." He then looked down at his cup, discovering it was empty, "Maybe one more cup will help me get through it." As he stood up, Medb had an irritated look on her face. She quickly extended her left foot, tripping the blue-haired lancer without anyone seeing. Cu Chulainn managed to catch himself from falling but lost this grip on his mug. The mug full on the ground and shattered, "Crap," He said as he looked down at the pieces, "That was my favorite mug."

"Oh, that's too bad." Medb commented in a sincere voice, but Bazett looked at her with skepticism, "If you want, you can use my mug. I don't mind."

"Nah, it's fine," Cu Chulainn responded with a smile, "I just need to clean this up."

"There's no need for that," Glynda said as she walked over, a newly filled cup of coffee in her right hand. She extended her left hand in an open palm. Suddenly, her riding crop materialized in her left hand. She then waved it, pointing up as it radiated a small white aura. Cu Chulainn had a look of confusion, before hearing a rustling sound near his feet. He looked to see the pieces of the mug coming back together. The pieces began to ascend as they attached to one another. Once it reached the height of his chest, the mug was fully formed. The mug hovered in the air, not even a crake visible. As Cu Chulainn grabbed the mug, he was amazed that it was solid, "Wow," He said before looking back at the professor from Beacon, "Thank Glynda."

"You're welcome," Glynda responded as she lowered her left hand, causing the riding crop to vanish. Cu Chulainn walked past her to the coffee pot, while Glynda looked over to the sensual professor, "Medb if you are still looking for a guess, I still have not been to town ye-"

"No thanks," Medb interrupted with a smile, "I just remembered I'm busy."

"I thought-" Glynda was saying, until she saw an aura of hatred radiating from the Medb's body, "Never mind." The professor from Beacon said before looking at the other woman, "Bazett, if you have some time later today, maybe we co-"

"I don't think so," Bazett responded as she took a sip of her coffee, "Like I said, Cu Chulainn and I are very busy today." She said glancing back at Glynda, radiating the same aura of hate as Medb did.

"I see," Glynda responded as a line of sweat ran down her face, "I think then I'll just take my leave and explore on my own."

"Oh, okay then," Cu Chulainn said as he poured himself more coffee, "See you around Glynda."

Glynda waved back but felt the pleasure of the other women glaring at her the professor from Beacon then walked out of the room as quickly as she could. "What did it do?" She said to herself as she walked away from the staff lounge, holding her chest with her right hand, "My heart is racing. I haven't felt that fear since the first time I saw a Grimm." She said before taking a large sip of her coffee, almost finishing off the cup again.

 _Yang._

Mordred followed as the blond berserker walked down the halls with confidence. Yang juggled what looked like a purple heart in the air with her right hand, "You know," The prideful knight said as she cautious look on her face, "Just because he let you take one those grenades with you. Doesn't mean you should be tossing it around like that." She then crossed her arms, "I can speak from experience, the smoke those things make is a lot worse than any of my cigarettes."

"I'll take my chances," Yang said as she looked back with a smile, "Besides, it looks cool. I had no idea you could turn a heart into a grenade like this." She said looking back at the weapon, "He said you could also make them eatable with the right magic?"

"Yeah, but they taste really raw. You would have to be a real sicko to eat one, despite its healing properties." Mordred said as she noticed Yang unperturbed by her comments, "You're not as weirded out by that as much as I thought."

Yang shrugged as she stuffed the heart grenade in her ammo pouch, jamming it in as far as she could, "Nah, I get it now." She said as she closed the flap, "This place has a lot of crazy different stuff from Beacon, I just got to go with the flow or I'll get overwhelmed by everything like my sister will." She said as she turned back to Mordred, "P.S. don't tell Ruby about that heart thing, it would freak her out."

"Oh, she doesn't like gore?" Mordred asked.

"It's not that, she would want to tinker with it," Yang said before she started to giggle, "And if I don't set this thing off, she will." Mordred smiled back as the two continued down the hall, "So, what's left for today?"

"We have one more combat class," Mordred said as she stretched out her arms over her head, causing Yang to sigh, "They really want to test out the transfers right away."

"That reminds me," Yang said as a questioned came to her, "Is anyone else, other than who I came here with, part of this whole transfer program?"

"Well," Mordred said her hands behind her head, "Yours was the biggest group, the rest are just single students." She said as she had a look of concentration trying to remember what she heard, "One is a former student from this school who left a long time ago. I don't know why she's coming back, but she's pretty strong." Mordred then scratched the back of her head, "The other is a girl from the military. Part of their program of sending one to each kingdom, I don't know why though either." Yang looked back at her in slight confusion, "What, I was half asleep when the headmaster was giving the speech about all this junk. The last thing I remember is those two will be arriving sometime next week."

"Fine, let's just get to this class over with," Yang said as the two then continued down the hallway until they reached a door to the outside. Upon exiting, they looked to see a large cylindrical arena. As they entered, the two saw a small group of people: two students sitting in the first row of stands and one female professor. The female professor had long purplish hair that stretched down to her back. She wore a more casual outfit to most of the other professors the blond berserker had seen, wearing a thin red jacket and blue jeans. However, she wore metal gauntest and boots with gold embordering. Around her neck was a choker with a small cross on it.

The two students sitting down both had a bored expression. One was a guy wearing a black suit and a wide brim hat. His necktie was red, stretching far down to his knees. He sat with his arms behind his head and his hat covered his eyes. once hearing the two girls approach, he raised his head slightly, revealing his piercing red eyes stare.

To his right was a female student, one who had her arms cross as she rested back in her seat. Her hair was a greenish-blue, so long the strand could have reached the ground. The hair was parted that each bundle of strands resembled snakes. Her skin was a pale white, what looked like a tear was tattooed over her right eye. She wore a jacket, shorts, and boots like Yang's. However, her outfit was a mishmash of black and white, accessorized with golden jewelry in the shape of gears.

"Hey!" Yang called out the trio, "We're here." She and Mordred walked over as the female professor turned to see then, the two other students remained silent.

"Oh, it's good to make your acquaintance." The female professor said as she bowed her head slightly, "My name is Martha, a professor at this academy who specialized in hand-to-hand combat training." She then smiled as she looked back up at them, "I'm also a Ruler class Professor, but don't let that intimidate you."

"Hand-to-hand?" Yang softly said as her mind went back to earlier this morning, her fight with Bazett. She still felt a slight throb in pain form was the final hit landed, "Uhh, does that mean we are going to be fighting you?"

"Oh no, not on the first day. Don't be silly." Martha said with a chuckle, leading Yang to have a sigh of relief. She then looked back to the two other students, "Edmond and Cleopatra will be your opponents." She then looked back at Yang, "I heard about your fight with Bazett, but I want to see what you have learned firsthand in the ways of fighting." She then looked over to Mordred, "I also want to see how far you have come here if you can match up to the legacy your father had. So, I want you two to have a team-battle."

"Okay," Mordred said before causing her Clarent to appear in her right hand, resting it on her right shoulder, "But if I'm fighting, I'm using my Noble Phantasm. Despite you wanting this to be a hand-to-hand class." The prideful knight glared up Martha, "My father had his way of fighting, I have mine."

"I understand, I give everyone no restrictions" Martha responded before turning back to the other students, "Now, why don't you two get ready on the other side of the arena." She then turned back to Yang and Mordred, "You have some time now to plan things out." Martha then walked away as the other students got up, walking to the other side arena.

"So, you know anything about these two?" Yang said as she stretched out her right arm.

"Not much, they have been at this academy longer than I have." Mordred said as she watched her opponents, glaring over at the man in the black suit, "What I do know is that guy has a bit of a dark past. Like being imprisoned for years and tortured before coming here," She then looked back at Yang, "His class is Avenger, one of the most powerful extra classes you can be put in."

"What does that class do differently than the others?" Yang said as cracked her knuckles, "I mean, the name is cool."

"I guess will both see when we fight him," Mordred commented before looking over to the woman with snake-like hair, "That woman is another story, I hear she acks more like a queen than a student." She then had a look of confusion as she looked back to Yang, "But then there's a lot of rumors that say she is actually a nice person, I don't know which is true."

"Well, let's find out," Yang said as he hit her fist together, calling her gauntest to form, "I got your back if you have mine." Mordred nodded with a smile before the two took their stance against their opponents.

"You there!" Cleopatra called to Yang from afar, "I suggest you back out now to spare yourself the humiliation." She then glanced over to Mordred, "I would say the same to you as well, Son of the King of Knights."

"Whatever Cleopatra." Mordred replied, "My roommate and I are about to beat you and your Avenger friend."

"Yeah," Yang added on before looking back at Mordred, "What was his name, Edmond?"

"My name is not Edmond!" The Avenger replied, turning his back to his opponents, and glancing behind his right shoulder, "I am the Count of Monte Cristo, The King of the Cavern, The Vengeance Grimm." He then turned back to face them, smiling in a twisted way as his eyes glowed yellow with hatred, "I'm the only member of the ultimate extra class, Avenger!" He then pointed over to his two opponents, "And you have no chance against me." He then glanced over to notice Cleopatra, an annoyed expression on her face as she crossed her arms, "and my partner. You have no chance against us." He corrected himself.

"Yikes," Yang said softly to her roommate, "And I thought Weiss liked to boast."

"Alright everyone," Martha announced from her seat before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Upon opening them, a fire was in her eyes of determination, "TIME TO FIGHT!" She shouted as she clenched her hands into fists.

"Where did that come from?" Yang commented, distracted by the outburst of enthusiasm. Suddenly, the blond berserker felt a heavy pressure. She turned back to see Emond radiating a black and dark blue aura. He chuckled as the energy balled in his right hand, aimed right at Yang, "What it that!?"

"Your death." The Avenger said before unleashing the ball of hatred aura. The ball speed towards Yang at high speed, ripping apart the ground on its path. Yang had no time to dodge, only holding up her arms in a blocking stance. In a flash, the ball of hatred exploded upon impact, creating a plume of dust.

Edmond chuckled as the aura around him started to fade, "You didn't hold back, even though she is of a weaker kingdom." Cleopatra commented as the smoke started to clear. While she had a slight smile, the Avenger gritted his teeth in anger, "But, her partner seems to have taken the hit for her."

As the dust calmed, Yang discovered herself unharmed. She found Mordred had taken the blast, holding her sword horizontally with a large scorch mark in the center. The prideful knight now wore the armor Yang saw on their first encounter, minus the helmet, "I thought you said you weren't going to get overwhelmed?" She said with a smile to the blond berserker.

"My bad," Yang said with a little giggle, "Won't happen again."

"Good," Mordred said before the armor began to move on its own, forming her helmet around her head. "I'll take on the Avenger, you keep the queen off my back." Yang nodded before Mordred rushed into combat.

The prideful knights swung her sword horizontally towards Edmond. However, the Avenger jumped back to avoid the hit. Mordred began to pursuit her enemy as Cleopatra focused on Yang, "You realize this is a tag team match, not two simultaneous one-on-one fights."

"What are you, scared to take me on without your insane boyfriend."

"He is just my team leader," Cleopatra said with a smirk, "but I will agree, he is insane."

"Whatever you say," Yang said with a shrug. The blond berserker then grinned before rushing towards the snake-haired queen. Cleopatra responded in kind. However, once the two were a few meters from the other, Cleopatra jumped into the air. She began to spin like a windmill heading down towards Yang.

Yang stopped herself, taking up a defensive stance, crossing her hands in a guard. Cleopatra delivered a right axel kick against Yang's gauntlets. The blonde berserker's boot heels dug into the ground form the force of the impact. Yang adjusted her positioning, grabbing Cleopatra's right ankle with her right hand. Yang then pivoted her body right and tried to slam her opponent's body against the ground.

Right before she would have hit the ground, Cleopatra absorbed the shock of the impact with her hands. She then looked back at Yang, quickly delivering a kick with her left leg to the blond berserker's face. Yang dropped her opponent as she fell back from the hit, falling on her back. Cleopatra got up quickly and attempted to stomp on her opponent. Yang saw the assault coming and quickly rolled out of the way, regaining her stance in the process, "So, you like kicking?"

"I do," The snake-haired queen said as she smiled, holding up her hands slightly, "This way, I don't break a nail during my fights."

"Fair enough," Yang responded before hitting her knuckles against each other, "But you'll break a lot more than a nail in this fight." She then reeled back her right arms as Cleopatra readjusted her stance, "How about this!" The blond berserker said before firing off a blast from her Ember Celica. Cleopatra grinned as she jumped back to avoid the hit. Yang gritted her teeth before unleashing another blast from her other gauntlets. She continued to fire in quick succession, while the snake-haired queen continued to dodge.

"Your aim is terrible, I'm not even trying that hard," The snake-haired queens said with a laugh as continued to jump around. After a few dodges, Cleopatra miscalculated one of her landings. Twisting her right ankle on the ground, causing a small crake to be heard. She fell to the ground, gritting her teeth to prevent herself from shouting.

Yang was about to launch another fire blast, knowing this one would land. However, she stopped herself right before firing, "Oh hey, are you, all right?" Yang said to Cleopatra's confusion. Martha observed with a smile.

"I'm fine," Cleopatra said as she stood back up, struggling to put weight on her injured leg, "Damn, I got careless," She whispered to herself. "this is really troublesome."

"Look," Yang said as she looked her arms, taking a more casual stance, "This isn't going to be a fair fight, why don't you just stop here?"

Cleopatra smiled as she crossed her arms, "This wasn't a fair fight, to begin with," She said before falling back to Yang confusion. However, Yang was even more confused as her opponent was hovering in the air. Suddenly, the shape of a golden snake started to appear, acting as the thrown chair for the queen, "Allow me to show you my Noble Phantasm, Uraeus Astrape." Cleopatra said as she crossed her right leg over her left leg.

Yang took up a defensive stance as the serpent hissed, flaring its fangs, "I said I wouldn't be overwhelmed." She muttered to herself, "I may have bitten off more than I could chew."

On the other side of the arena, Mordred continued to chase Edmond. Every attempt by the prideful knight to land a hit with her sword was futile. The Avenger continued to dodge every slash, leaving a blue trail of energy were he once was, "You can't hit me with that poor excuse for a sword."

"Don't to dare mock my weapon when you don't have one!" Mordred shouted as she rushed him again, attempting another horizontal slash. However, the Avenger leaped over the blade and the prideful knight. Even in midair and upside-down, he raised his arms and aimed to the back of his opponent. The darkish blue energy gathered before being fired at his opponent. The blast hit in the center of Mordred's back, causing her to fall to her knees, holding herself up with her sword.

The Avenger caught his landing, turning his back to his opponent, "I can scene the vengeance you hold in your heart." He said in a cold voice.

"What are you talking about," Mordred said as she got back on her feet, "Stop speaking nonsense and fight me!"

"I know about your past," Emond said, "You must harbor a great hatred towards the King of Knights." His words caused Mordred to pause, not yet turning to face him, "You have every right to hate him for lying to you your whole life." He then turned around a sinister smile on his face, "So, why don't you give into that vengeance? Let it become your power like it has mine!"

Martha turned to towards the two, overhearing the conversation. Mordred's helmet recoiled into her armor as she turned around to face him, a look of fierce anger in her eyes. Suddenly, she had a slight smile, "You want to know why?" She said with Edmond having a similar smile, "It's because I'm not some fool who thinks their dark past is all it takes to make them something." Mordred responded, causing Edmond to grit his teeth in anger and Martha to have a slight laugh, "Don't get me wrong, I still hate my father. But I'm not going to spout how much I hate him while I'm fighting someone, that's just rude." The prideful knight said before pointing her sword at her opponent, "Now Edmond, can we continue?"

"I said my name is not Edmond," The Avenger shouted back, "I am the Count of Monte Cristo, The King of the Cavern, The Vengea-" In the middle of his speech, Mordred rushed him, impaling her sword into his abdomen. He coughed up blood in place of finishing his sentence.

"You talk too much. That's who you are." Mordred said as she let go of her sword, "I made sure to miss anything important, but don't remove that unless you want to bleed out." She said before he fell to his knees, seething in rage as he looked up at her.

The prideful knight looked over to Yang, seeing her dodging the fangs of the large serpent. She was soon pinned against the arena wall. The golden serpent hissed before plunging towards the blond berserker, its mouth agape. Mordred looked in horror as her roommate was lost in a plume of dust.

Cleopatra had a slight smirk on her face. However, she had a look of shock at her golden snake. The head of the serpent pulled out of the smoke, revealing Yang holding its mouth open. Her right hand held the upper jaw, while her legs pushed down the bottom jaw, avoiding the fangs, "If your pet is hunger," Yang shouted as the golden serpent started to thrash, "How about he eats this!" She said as she cocked her left Ember Celica, unleashing a volley of fire shots into its gaping mouth. However, the shots did nothing and the serpent's body spontaneously combusted into flames, "Oh come on!" Yang commented before she stopped attacking, now focusing on trying to hang on.

Cleopatra laughed as the golden serpent was not affected by the blond berserker's attacks, "Those types of attacks won't work." She said before glaring over to Mordred, "I'll give you the ultimatum. Give up or the next thing my Uraeus Astrape eats will be your friend." The snake-haired queen said, causing Mordred to grit her teeth.

The prideful knight looked back up roommate, wondering how to help her. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off as she remembered something, "Hey Yang," Mordred called out to her roommate, "Try giving the snake a kind of heartache." She said with a look of regret for what she just did.

"What!?" Yang responded before remembering something also, "Oh, I get it!" She then reached back into her ammo pouch, pulling out the heart grenade. She bit off the pin before tossing it into the serpent's mouth. Cleopatra had a look of confusion, while a smile formed on Martha's face.

A couple of seconds later, the golden serpent began to shudder as the fire around its body went out. Yang jumped away from the creature's mouth, "What did you do?" Cleopatra shouted as her Noble Phantasm began to cough up a purple smoke.

Yang avoided the smoke as Mordred ran to the tail end of the serpent. The prideful knight garbed the tail and began to spin in place. She twirled with the golden serpent, quickly gaining momentum. The snake's eyes filled with worry as Yang's eyes turned red. She reeled back her left arm, posed for the pitch. Mordred let go of the golden serpent, sending it straight for her roommate. With perfect timing, Yang uppercuts the golden snake. Her fist colliding with its lower jaw, sending it straight into the sky.

While in the air, the golden serpent started to evaporate into light blueish particles. Cleopatra's mouth was in a gap as she saw her Noble Phantasm vanish. She then looked down to see Yang and Mordred in from her, grinning as they outnumbered her, "I…did think you could do that."

"You give up now," Yang asked.

Before the snake-haired queen could respond, a voice called from the other side of the arena, "Hold it!" The three turned to see Edmond standing up. He screamed in pain as he pulled out the sword. Before most of his blood could gush out of the wound, he shot himself with a blast of the darkish blue energy, searing the wound close, "It's not over yet!" He then had a sinister smile, radiated a bluish lighting and black aura from his body, "I'll eliminate all of you with my Noble Phantasm." The Avenger shouted as Yang and Mordred gritted their teeth in worry, "Now, take this! Enfer Chât-"

Suddenly, Martha appeared over Edmond before he could finish his sentence. She struck down on him with her right fist colliding with the back of his head. In what seemed like half a second, the Avenger slammed face first into the ground. His body remained almost motionless as the dark aura around him faded. Martha landed back on her feet and looked down at the fallen student, "I would say you flailed the point of this exercise. It was a team battle. There's no teamwork in blowing apart your alley with your opponent."

"Waugh uagh," Edmond said, sounding like an apology through the dirt.

"Good, I'll call the medical team to come in and give you aid," Martha said as she pulled out her scroll from her jacket pocket, "I hope that little stunt you did near the end doesn't leave a scar on your body."

"That was insane!" Yang commented awe before turning to her roommate, "I didn't see her move and she pounded him in the dirt!"

"What happened to not get overwhelmed," Mordred responded.

"Yeah, well, I can't help it now." Yang shrugged, "That was just so cool." She then looked back to see Edmond on the ground, remembering a pain she felt from earlier today and she felt the side of her head, "Still, it's a lot less cool where you're the one getting hit."

"Maybe that will teach him to stop this dumb act," Cleopatra said.

"What do you mean?" Mordred inquired.

"Oh, the rumors about his 'dark' his past," The snake-haired girl said in a sassy voice, "Those are all fake, he's the one that spread them to make himself sound edgy."

"Waougghhh!" Edmond shouted through the dirt, the anger in his voice remained.

"Hey, I'm telling them since you tried to attack me with your Noble Phantasm." Cleopatra shouted back, "This secret of yours is dumb anyway."

"Wuuug…" Edmond responded in a defeated voice.

"He really does talk a lot, doesn't he?" Mordred commented as she walked over to pick up her sword.

"You have no idea," Cleopatra responded as she picked the bridge of her nose.

Martha walked over to the three, putting her scroll away, "The three of you did a great job." The ruler professor said with a smile, looking especially at Cleopatra, "You managed to hold your own even after suffering a critical injury that prevented your style of combat. Adapting quite well in trying to change the course of the battle with your last bluff."

"Thank you, professor," Cleopatra said with a slight nod.

"Mordred," Martha said as she turned to the prideful knight returned to the group, "You did very well in communicating with your teammate before and even during the match. That takes a lot of skill, consider you two just met."

"T-thanks," Mordred said as she blushed a bit.

Suddenly, Yang held her roommate in a friendly headlock, "Yeah, your jokes could use a little work." She said as Mordred sighed, "If you want, I can give you a few comedy tips."

"No thanks," Mordred said she pushed away from her roommate's grip, "I just had to think of something dumb I knew you would get. So, our opponent wouldn't figure out what we were doing." She said as she looked away, while Yang giggles in response.

"And you Yang," Martha said, getting the blond berserker's attention, "You showed a lot of restraint in battle. Not choosing to attack your foe, despite the perfect opportunity showing itself.

Yang laughed as she scratched the back of her head with her right hand, "I just thought it wouldn't have been fair to win that way."

"Regardless," Martha said as she crossed her arms, "We separate ourselves from Grimm with our ability to apply our morals to a situation. We learn to care for life and preserve it for the betterment of ourselves and others. A pivotal part of that is our ability to work together, sharing those similar righteous morals." The ruler professor looked down at the three, her eyes full of fire like before, "While you are here, I will train you how to use your fist to fight for such a righteous cause."

"Cool," Yang said with a smile. Suddenly, her stomach growled in the dead silence, "Sorry," She said as her face turn slightly red, "I guess two fights and skipping lunch can really make you hungry."

"We don't have any more class today," Mordred commented, "Let's get something to eat at the cafeteria."

"I'll join you two," Cleopatra added on, "If you don't mind."

"You promise not to act like a queen while we're out," Yang responded in with a smirk, "I already have to deal with one teammate with that type of attitude."

"I promise," Cleopatra responded with a smirk, "By the way, the rumors about me being nice are true."

"You three have fun," Martha responded before looking back at Edmond, "I'll make she sure he gets to the medical center unharmed." The three girls began to leave; however, the snake-haired queen still had some trouble walking. Martha looked back to see the Yang offer, Cleopatra, a hand, lending her a shoulder to lean on as they walked out of the arena. The ruler professor smiled as she watched her class walk out together.

 **AN: There you go, Yang got her first win with the help of Mordred verse the Danganronpa duo, (they shared that same series artist and were almost teamed up for that reason alone). Medb makes her debut and still has a huge thing for Cu, but Bazett has a very possessive nature when it comes to him and their work. Writing scared Glynda was fun, showing different sides of that character was why I wanted to include her in this story. I have Martha here as her ruler class, but I had to give her a bit more clothes for her teaching role. It's a slight change and it's because I felt the shock of what Medb wears would lose its impact if I then showed a teacher who wore only a swimsuit, (I didn't want to give her the rider outfit because it wouldn't make sense for what I want to do with that character. There is a beach nearby I have already established. I plan to have her teach there in a future chapter were her original designed will come back). I feel like I'm going to get a lot of slack for making Edmond the way I did in this story. He is a cool character with an amazing design, it's just I already have so many characters with a dark history in this crossover. So, I thought I could make fun of the character a little bit and make him a sort of mockery of the 'Edgelord' archetype. I understand that not everyone will like that, but it makes me chuckle every time I write for him now. And finally, I have Cleopatra, whose Uraeus Astrape is a bit livelier this story. She was honestly one of the harder characters to write, but I still had a lot of fun making her personality, (In retrospect, I think I made her act truer to Weiss in the original series that Weiss does in this story). It may be the Danganronpa style, but I think she is one of the coolest looking servants. So, I'll leave with that as a question to you all. Who is the coolest designed servant? Doesn't have to be your favorite servant, just the one you think has the most amount of cool factor in their appearance. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	18. Chapter 17 - Hero's Origin

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. I wanted to thank you all for the support and commenting on this story. I know I can't always appeal to everyone, but I going to try and make this story as interesting as possible. This chapter lets me introduce the rest of a certain family. As well as giving the backstory and motivations of a few characters. Both Cinder and Archer shine a lot in this chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 17 – Hero's Origin**

 _Cinder._

On the west area outside the academy walls, Cinder waited next to a tree as Archer stood a few meters away. He was talking with someone on his scroll, his voice was barely audible from where the black-haired archer was, "You are sure he's not there yet," She managed to overhear before Archer turned to him, causing her to look at her nails, "Fine, I will be there in a bit…. yes, she will be their too…." Archer responded before sighing, "No, it's not like that…. goodbye." He then hung up and looked back to his roommate, "Come on, I know where we are eating now." Archer then started walking away.

"Really," Cinder said as followed him, "What's wrong with the cafeteria or something in town?"

"It's complicated," He commented as they walked back down a path dirt path, "My mother just told me she just gave the entire staff a long vacation." He then looked back to see a look of confusion her face, he then pointed down the dirt road towards their destination. In the far distance was what looked like a castle, as an academy in architecture but somewhat smaller and more decorative, "By staff, I mean the attendees she has at that castle. The maids who help maintain the grounds and defend from Grimm raids."

"I see now, I must have missed it when arriving here" Cinder responded, "That's rather generous of your mother. Yet, how will she keep herself from getting invaded."

"I'm more considered with how she will feed herself than anything else," Archer commented as they continued to walk.

After a few minutes, Cinder had a look of irritation as she felt no closer to their destination, "Was their no way to procure a car?" She asked her roommate, "This is a rather long walk."

"No, she is not allowed near cars." He responded, causing the black-haired archer to look at him in need of clarification, "Anytime she sees a car, she wants to take it for a joyride." He turned to her with a sarcastic smirk, "Believe me, it's for the safety of everyone that I keep cars away from her."

"Fine," Cinder said as she glared at him, "But what of a bike or something other than walking?"

Archer sighed before he stopped walking, prompting Cinder to stop also, "Okay then, hold on tight." He said as he turned back to her.

"Excuse me?" Cinder asked. Suddenly, Archer moved over to her and picked her up. He cradled her in his arms. His left hand on his back and his right held her legs. She had a look of shock for a second before looking at him with a slight smile, "Oh, how gentlemanly of you." Cinder said as she mover moved her right arm around the back of his neck, "But next time, ask a lady before you sweep her off her feet." She said as she grabbed her right hand with her left.

Archer gave a slight nod before focusing back to their destination. He bent his knee somewhat, readjusting his stance. Suddenly, he leaped into the air with extreme speed. Their bodies seemed immune to the wind as they sored through the sky. Cinder watched as they quickly approached their destination. As he looked back the ground, the silver-haired man looked to his landing site as the front entrance to the castle. He landed on the ground, which created a circular impact mark in the dirk. Archer bent down to one knee, allowing Cinder to let go of him and return her feet back to the ground, "Now, that saved us some time." She said as she bushed the dirt off her body.

"Yes," Archer said as he began to walk up the stone steps to the front entrance. Cinder followed as he pulled a long golden rope near the door, causing a ringing sound. After a few seconds, the door opens. Cinder looked to see a woman with pale white skin and hair to match. She wore a plum red top and white skirt. Along with white thigh high boots over black stockings. She looked to Archer with a smile, her red eyes glowing with her sincerity.

"Shirou," She said, "I am so happy you could make it." She then looked over to the black-haired archer, "And you must be Cinder. It is so nice to meet you." The white-haired woman then placed her hand on her chest as she slightly curtsied, "I am Irisviel von Einzbern, Shirou's mother." Archer had a smile on his face as he was about to speak up, However Irisviel cut him off before he could talk, "Shirou, could you be a dear and make something for us. I want to take Cinder on a little tour."

"I-" Archer said but stopped himself as his mother looked at him with an innocent smile, "Yes Mother." He reluctantly replied as has the white-haired lady walked over to grab Cinder's right hand.

Irisviel pulled her slightly as they walked up to the large staircase, "You certainly have a lovely house." Cinder said in a slightly uncomfortable voice, "Would you mind letting go of me?"

"Oh sorry," Irisviel replied as she let go of the black-haired archer's hand, "I was just so excited to meet you. Shirou had told me that someone reached out specifically to be with him after the transfer program started." She looked back at Cinder with an innocent smile, "It makes me so happy he's being social with people again."

"I see," Cinder responded, "He has been…an enlightening roommate." They had made it up to the stairs and started walking down a long hallway. The walls were adorned with many engravements and arches. The large glass windows illuminated the way with the natural light. Every few feet were an antic style table and chairs for those who wanted a rest down the long hallway, "As I said, you have a lovely home. What is it you do that can afford such a palace?"

"My husband and I both work at the academy." Irisviel responded, "I am the head of the Chaldea Youth Program. I look over the younger students at the academy to make sure they stay out of trouble. My daughter helps me out by leading the team those students are put in." The two then found a large door at the then end of the hallway. Upon the white-haired lady opening it, they entered a room with a large open space. The glare from the windows brighten up the white columns that adorn the right side of the room. "My Husband Kiritsugu is the Head of Special Operations and Grimm Extermination. He oversees protecting the kingdom from innovations and sending out heroic spirits to towns as guards against Grimm."

"Well, I hope to meet him one day," Cinder said as she examined the room. However, she looked back at Irisviel, finding something odd with her appearance, "Tell me, does Shirou take after his father more than you in genetics?"

"Oh, well…" Irisviel responded as she walked over to one of the windows, leaning against the frame, "You see, Shirou is our adopted child." She then turned to the window, looking out at the horizon of the pain fields spreading for miles, "I'm sure you already know that Apocrypha is near flat land. Almost all towns not near the academy have been whipped out by Grimm." She then had a remorseful smile as Cinder listened intently, "When Kiritsugu started his job, he wanted to save this kingdom and eliminate all threats for the people. He sounded so confident about his plan, calling himself a Hero of Justice."

"Hm," Cinder said remembering the title spoke to him earlier.

"But," Irisviel said as the smile faded, the hint of a tear starting to come into her eyes, "One of his first mission was a failure. An entire town was wiped out and he blames himself for underestimating the strength the Grimm had at the time. He said he spent hours searching the wreckage for anyone." Slowly the smile returned to her face as she looked back to the black-haired archer.

"And then he found Shirou." Cinder said with a smile.

"There was no way I could fight him on the subject and Shirou was such a nice little boy at the age of five." The white-haired lady said with a giggle in her voice as she quickly wiped her eyes, "And he always clung to Kiritsugu like glue, saying he would be a Hero just like he was." Her vision cleared as she looked at Cinder, slightly blushing "Several years later, I was pregnant and had Illyasviel. She is a good child that really looks up to her big brother." However, her cheery tone faded as she Cinder knew why, "But a few years after that, something terrible happened to the team Shirou was on."

"It was after that his relationship with his father changed," Cinder answered for her, sparing her the pain of reminiscing that fact, "He told me this earlier today."

"That's odd, Shirou doesn't normally talk about his past," Irisviel said as the smile returned to her face, "I guess that means he trusts you somewhat." She looked down to the ground, "Shirou does have a hard time making friends, even before what happened to him. He may be older now, but he is still a sweet boy with a kind heart." She then looked back up at Cinder, "So I'm asking you, as his mother, please look over him while you can."

Cinder crossed her arms as she looked at the white-haired lady with a smile, "I'll do my best." Responded, which caused Irisviel's smile to become more confident.

Upon exiting the room, the two-woman found Archer had caught up with them. His red mantle coat was off, replaced with a cream-colored apron. He cared a silver platter with teacups and few triangle-cut sandwiches in his right hand. In his left was a ketal of tea. Cinder had a smug smile as he looked at her, but he responded with a somewhat strict look in his eyes, "I was only able to make this with what was available in the pantry. It needs to be restocked soon." Archer said to his mother as he put down the items on a nearby table.

"Thank you Shirou," said Irisviel said as she sat down. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, "Oh, would you mind getting that?" She said as Archer looked down at her, smiling at him with pure innocence. He sighed before walking away from the two.

Once he returned to the main hall, the doorbell rang again. What followed was a quick repetition of the ringing of the doorbell, causing Archer's expression to become irritated. "You're going to break it!" a young female voice spoke from the other side of the door. Archer stopped himself, smiling as he recognized it. "No, I'm not. Relax." A similar female voice responded, however, was slightly more arrogant in tone. Suddenly, the ringing stopped after a ripping sound was heard, "Uhoh." The second voice said as Archer continued to the door.

Upon opening it, he found two girls on the other side. Both couldn't have been older than ten with almost identical faces. However, the girl on the right had familiar pale skin with white hair. While the girl on the left hand a darker skin tone and her hair were slightly blonder. Their attires were vastly different. The girl on the right wore a purple shirt with a lighter tone scarf, a large white skirt, and matching purple boots. The other girl had a similar outfit to Archer's. However, hers was much more revealing and tattered. On her abdomen was an odd symbol. She had the rope in her left hand, looking down at it with disappointment. The girl on the right glared at the other girl, pouting in her expression. Archer cleared his throat, getting the attention of the two girls.

"Brother!" The girl on the right said with glee as she hugged him. Archer kneed down, extending his arms before he embraced her, "I haven't seen you in so long."

"I know Illya," Archer responded, "Even though we are at the same school, we have been busy with classes." He then let go his sister before standing back up, "But I know you've been busier than me with your team."

"Yes well," Illya said as she scratched the back of her head, "We had a had our first big mission against Grimm. We beat them, but Jack got hurt in the process."

"She can be a bit crazy at times," The girl on the left said as she crossed her arms, looking over at Illya with one eye open, "Or maybe it's a sign I should be the leader and you follow my orders."

"That's not nice Chole, I can tell Illya is trying her best." Archer responded as he looked down at the broken rope, "Besides if you lead like you ring the doorbell, your team might be worst off." His comment caused Chole to pout in rage as Illya held her right hand to her face to hide her giggling, "Anyway, I'll fix this." The silver-haired man said as he took the rope out of Chole's hand and looked over to Illya, "Mother is talking with Cinder near the end of the hall before the empty room. She is my roommate from this transfer program." His last sentence caused his little sister to stop her giggling.

"Oh okay," Illya said as she walked past her bother. Chole followed as Archer remained outside looking at the rope in his hand. once she caught up with her, Chole noticed a look of anger on Illya's face, "He said she, right?" The white-haired girl said she tightened her fist.

"Yeah," Chole responded before she had a smirk appear on her face, "Are you jealous that your big brother is going to be spending time with another girl."

"N-no, it's not that!" Illya frantically responded, "I don't know this girl. How am I supposed to make sure she can look after my brother when I'm not there?"

"Oh, I get it now. Leave it to me." Chole said as the two girls could see Cinder and Irisviel sitting at a table. They were still an enjoying their tea, the two had not noticed them yet. Chole stopped walking, followed by Illya who had a look of confusion. In her right hand, she formed a large black bow. Her left hand, a thin arrow that glowed off a bluish light, "Let's see how good she is."

"What are y-" Illya said before Chole fired the arrow. The projectile ripped through the air on its way towards Cinder's head. She was still unaware of the incoming attack as she sipped her tea. Illya had a look of panic as Chole smirked.

Suddenly, a large white blade formed near Irisviel's head, her hair waved as if a breeze was in the air. The blade deflected the arrow, sending the arrow into the ceiling. Chole had a look of disappointment as Cinder had a smirk, "You're right, that is a rather useful ability." Cinder responded to Irisviel as the blade vanished, turning into a single strand of hair on the ground.

"Well, I wanted to show you by creating a small bird," said Irisviel as she turned her head to look at the children. While her mother was smiling, Illya had a look of worry, "But, I thought this would be a bit more impressive."

"You were correct," Cinder responded before sipping her tea again. She placed her cup down before continuing, "The ability to infuse your hair with your magical energy is very impressive. I use a similar technique, apart from a few substitutions."

"I would be more than happy to show you how to perform it yourself," The white-haired lady said as she looked back to the black-haired archer, "But first, why don't I introduce you to my little girls." She said as the two children walked over, both with an uneasy look on their faces, "Cinder, let me introduce you to Illyasviel and Chole von Einzbern."

"G-good evening," Illya said with a small curtsy, her voice still hesitant from the atmosphere.

"Hi," Chole said with a wave, "Sorry about shooting you back there."

"It's okay, I'm the forgiving type." Cinder responded before looking back to Illya, noticing a familiarity in their features. She turned back to Irisviel, "You didn't mention twins."

"I'm not her twin," Chole responded, "I'm her cousin."

"My apologies," Cinder responded as she noticed something about her attire, "I take it you took influence from you other cousin's for your choice of outfit." She then smiled, "And, I assume you are the same class as him as well."

"An archer?" Chole said sarcastically as she gestured with the black bow before it disappeared in her hand, "What was your first clue?"

"No need to be rude Chole," Irisviel responded before nibbling on one of the sandwiches.

"It's fine," Cinder said with a giggle, "I acted out like her when I was that age. It's normal."

"Uh Cinder," Illya spoke up, "Are you are you and my brother…" she said as her face turned slightly red, "…do you two… like each other?"

Cinder chuckled as reached for one of the sandwiches, "Our relationship is hard to define now, but nothing romantic is between us." She said before biting the sandwich. Illya sighing of relief, "However," The black-haired archer said as Illya had a look of panic, "I may fall in love with his cooking." Cinder said as she turned back to Irisviel, "He is a man of many talents."

"Yes, he is." The white-haired lady said with a similar giggle as she looked up at the ceiling, noticing the damage from the arrow, "I need to ask Shirou to fix that now. The staff has been working so hard lately, I wanted to give them a break," She then looked back down towards Cinder, "I hope you don't mind the two of you staying here a while longer."

"Oh, I don't mind at all." Cinder said as she picked up her tea, "If it helps, we can always come back here after we finished classes." She then looked over to see Archer approaching a look of worry upon overhearing the conversation, "Is that okay with you?"

"Ah…" Archer said as his mother turned to look at him. Her eyes were half open as she looked up at him, that pure innocent remained in her smile, "N-no, I don't mind at all."

"Thank you Shirou," Irisviel responded with her smile largening, "You make me so happy."

 **AN: There you go, you just can't say no to that smile. Irisviel is here and I really do love writing her character. Her talking with Cinder has been one of my favorite moments right now. I also show Illya and I explain here when she was born to be the age that she is now in relation to Archer. You can tell she does love her brother, but I'm not taking it to the level Prisma did. Speaking of which, I also have Chole here. Who, in this continuity, is Illya's cousin. I chose to put Chole in over Miyu because one of the themes of this story is a family drama. That is the reason I have some may character closely tied to one another and I can't wait to continue to explore that as this story goes on.**


	19. Chapter 18 - Trust

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter. I wanted to thank you all for the continued support and for checking out the story. I am still amazed when I see the Tv Tropes for this story update. It is a huge honor and I thank you all for that level of interest in my fanfic. We get a few cool moments here, one with Ruby I really like. As well as a few set-ups to some big events. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 18 – Trust**

 _Pyrrha._

Hours later into the day, Gawain and his class rode their horses across the border outside the forest. Each of the horses ranged in colors between black and brown, expect Gawain's, which was white. While the white clade knight led the class, Jaune followed close behind. Behind him were his sister and his teammate. The only one not on a horse was Lancelot, who walked in the back while his daughter and horse trotted kept his pace. The two remained a further back from the group, scanning over the area in greater detail.

They traveled outside the area just before entering the forest. Scanning the area looking for any signs of Grimm. Pyrrha turned to Jeanne with confusion, "Wouldn't it be better if we looked for Grimm in the forest? I mean, we cannot see that far in as is."

"We do it this way because we have a better chance of fighting the enemy in the plains outside this forest than inside. Our vision really wouldn't be improved inside the forest and we're more likely to get ambushed." The female Arc responded, "We have better mobility here. Thanks to the horses, we can have one of us rush back to the academy to get help if things get too serious."

"I guess you have a point," the red-haired warrior said as she saw Jaune's horse slightly thrash. She then had a look of worry as the horse threw Jaune off and tossed him into a bush. Upon his landing, a gushing sound was heard, "Jaune!" Pyrrha and Jeanne said as they got off their horses and ran over to him.

Gawain tried to calm the horse as the two girls checked in on the male Arc. When the ran over to the bush, they found Jaune in a pile of black gunk. The mysterious substance covered part of his torso, sticking to his body, "Ewww." Jaune said as he looked at his right hand covered in the black substance, "What is this?"

"It looks like the essence of Grimm," Pyrrha said as Jaune picked himself up, trying to brush the gunk off him, "But why does it look all slimy like that?"

"Well, maybe it was a Grimm that couldn't fully form. So, it remained a blob until eventually, it would evaporate." Jeanne said as she thought of whatever it could have been, placing her right hand on her chin, "That, or it's Grimm excrement."

"WHAT!?" Jaune responded in a voice of panic as Pyrrha began to giggle, holding her side with her right hand as she covered her mouth with her left, "That's not funny Pyrrha!"

"I'm so sorry," Pyrrha said as she moved her hand away from her mouth. However, she had a look of restraint on her face from the situation.

"I-I don't think that what it was," Jeanne respond in a frantic voice, "If it was, it would smell a lot worse." She said as she sniffs the aroma around them, taking a step back as she talked, "But, maybe we could take you back for a shower." She then cleared her through before continuing, her voice a lot calmer now. She turned back to Gawain, seeing he had calmed down the horse, "That stuff might have been what caused your horse to freak out."

"That would make sense," Gawain said as he brushed the side of the horses head, "Even at a Riding skill Rank E, horse riding should not be a problem for anyone of the saber class."

"Well, I did get the hang of it really quick," Jaune said as he walked out of the bush and over to his horse. He reached his hand to pet the horse, but the animal looked to him with fear in its eyes. However, the hoses eyes became calmer as they locked with Jaune. Slowly, the hoses bowed its head to allow Jaune to pet him, "That's a good boy." Jaune said with a smile.

"It's a mare." Gawain corrected for his student, but a smile was on his face, "I do think she likes you, she was just scared." He then looked over to Mash and her father, "Lancelot, I do think we have surveyed long enough. We have run into nothing, apart from this little incident."

Lancelot nodded once while Mash had a look of confusion, "What happened?"

Pyrrha was about to speak up, but Jaune interrupted, "Nothing!" Jaune said before turning to his roommate, "You need to promise me not to talk about this to anyone." He asked in a serious voice.

"Don't worry Jaune," Pyrrha responded with a smile, "I'll keep this secret also."

"Also?" Jeanne said as she overheard the conversation, "That does that mean?" She asked her brother his teammate, causing them to look at her in a slight panic, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Nononono," Pyrrha responded, "It's nothing, I just misspoke." She responded with a smile, but Jeanne had a look of skepticism. "Really, we should get going while the sun is still out." The red-haired warrior said as she moved over to her horse, hopping back on.

"You're right," Jeanne said as she closed her eyes. once she opened them she looked back at Jaune, noticing a line of sweat on his face as he got back up on the horse. Her eyes narrowed before getting back to her horse.

"Overall, we had a successful mission," Gawain responded.

"Maybe next time we'll run into some Grimm," Jaune responded, "I really want to see you fight in person."

"You shouldn't hope for the enemy to appear, Jaune. You should be prepared for battle at all times, not looking for a fight." The white clade knight responded, "But, I may be overstepping my boundaries. You were taught by hunters and now by heroic spirits, the transition must be confusing."

"Well, I think we have been adjusting," He said as his mind began to wonder, "I wonder how Ruby and the others are doing?"

 _Ruby._

Having wondered the town for hours, Ruby followed Astolfo. The walked down a stone paved alley, each building marked a different good of sale. The svelte paladin hummed a tone as he walked without a care in the world. In each hand were a couple of shopping bags filled with clothes. However, the silver eyed girl's hands were empty. Her arms hung low with a look of boredom as she walked, "I don't mean to be rude, but can we please go back now?" Ruby asked.

"Not yet," Astolfo replied, "Not until you find something to buy."

"Come on," Ruby groaned, "I just don't see myself wearing anything else."

"Well, red is your color." Astolfo said, "But, I'm your only ticket back to the academy. So, what I say goes." He then had a slight giggle as she sighed, "You don't have to worry about money, the academy gives students a pretty big expense fund for their services."

"That's nice of you, but…" Ruby said as she looked at the nearby stores, noticing many with accessories and appeal, "Does it have to be clothing. Isn't there a material shop or weapons depo I can buy something from?"

"Nope, all that stuff is handled in the academy by certain professors." Astolfo said as he noticed a small bench, walking over to sit down at it, "Now, I have done enough walking around and found what I wanted. You need to go to one of these stores and buy something cool." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his class card, handing it to Ruby, "Here, once you find something, use this to pay."

Ruby looked at the class card, seeing an image of Astolfo wearing a red cape and crown. The svelte paladin had an elegant pose as he smiled in the image, "These work as credit cards also?" She asked with Astolfo nodding, "Well, I guess I'll try and find something then." Ruby said before walking away with an uncertain look on her face. Astolfo smiled as he leaned back in the bench to relax.

"If you don't find something," Astolfo called to his roommate, "I'll have to help you try some clothes on."

"T-that won't be necessary. I'll find something!" She called back with her face turning slightly red.

As Ruby walked around the commercial district of the town, she looked in bewilderment at the empty room. While there were many stores, few people walked the streets. The area was almost quite as she looked between the alleys to see nobody around, "I guess this town used to be very popular at one point." she thought as she looked for someplace to walk into, yawning before her next thought, "Maybe I should just buy something random." She then shook her head, "Nah, he would see right through that." Her mind then went blank, with the only image being Astolfo with his smile. His clothes began to fade away right before Ruby face turned red again, "Nonononono, Stop that! "Ruby said to herself as she slapped her cheeks, "I have to find something a quick."

Ruby then walked into one of the stores. Only the natural light from the outside illuminated the interior. However, the clothes' vibrant colors gave life to the store. Each one was a different color from the spectrum, each outfit more unique than the last. The silver eyed girl looked at the outfits for something to try on, but her expression remained unsure, "I don't know." She then noticed a girl with magenta hair, carrying a large stake of boxes that formed a pillar she had to balance. The girl stood outside what looked like changing rooms. Ruby walked over and tapped the girl on the shoulder right shoulder, "Hello, can you help me."

"If you can't tell, I'm a little busy." The girl said as she turned her head, revealing herself as Elizabeth. Her voice was stained due to trying to carry the large stake of boxes. She then looked back to see to the rooms, "Hey Tamano, hurry up! My arms are getting tired."

"Don't rush me," a voice called from the changing room on the right, "And don't you dare put those boxes on the ground, those clothes cost a lot of money!" Tamano no Mae added, causing Elizabeth to sigh.

"My bad, I guess I'll just go-" Ruby said as she was about to walk away. However, upon her first step away, Elizabeth screamed in pain. The idol faunus tossed the boxes into the air as she the silver-eyed girl had a look of surprise. She then looked down to see that she had stepped on the end of Elizbeth's tail. She turned back with fear, looked to see Elizabeth glaring at her with her teeth grit, "Sorry, I didn't see it." Ruby said as she got off the tail.

"Didn't see it? How could you not see my tail!" Elizabeth responded in anger, "What is your problem!?"

"I'm so sorry," Ruby pleaded as her speaking became frantic, "I was just looking for advice on what I should buy to wear and I saw you and I thought you could help me since, you know, were both girls and you look the same age as me and you look cool with what you wear so I thought I could ask you for help and then you said no so I-"

"Wait, back up a second," Elizabeth said as she had a look of confusion, "You said you wanted to ask me for fashion advice? That I, "looked cool,"? right?" She asked with Ruby nodding. Suddenly, Elizabeth's eyes widened with joy as she smiled, "Nobody has ever said that to me." She said as her a small tear formed in her right eye, "Of course I'll help you."

"Really? Thanks!" Ruby responded, "Again, sorry about your tail."

"Oh, it's okay." The idol faunus said as she placed her right hand on her chest, "I'm Elizabeth Bathory."

"Nice to meet you." The silver eyed girl responded before she was about to introduce herself.

However, the door to the changing room on the right opened. Walking out was Tamano no Mae, dressed in her bluish kimono. She had a look of anger on her face as she glared down at the boxes on the ground. some of the clothes in the boxes fell out, dirt mixing into the fibers. She then looked back up to glare at Elizabeth, who had a line of sweat form on the side of her face, "You had one task." the fox faunus said with dread in her voice

"I'm sorry, it was my fault," Ruby interjected, moving in-between in front of Elizbeth and Tamano. The idol faunus had a look of relief as Ruby stood in her path.

"Who are you?" Tamano no Mae responded.

"I'm Ruby Rose, one of the new students here from the transfer program." The silver eyed girl responded, causing Elizabeth to have a look of confusion.

"Ruby?" Elizabeth said before she remembered, "You're the one Nero is looking for." She said before a slight giggle came to her voice, "And your last name is Rose, I remember now."

"That's going to piss her off for sure," Tamano said as she crossed her arms, a smile coming on her face.

"Who are you talking about?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"You'll know soon enough," Tamano said as she placed her hands on her hips looking down at Ruby, "Anyway, if you want to take the blame, you have to reimburse me for clothes you damaged."

"I mean, they just a little dirty," Ruby said, but Tamano gaze remained unbroken. The silver-eyed girl then sighed before reaching into her pocket.

Suddenly, the fox ears atop Tamano no Mae's head flinched. She turned her head back to the changing rooms, focusing on the one on the left. Ruby and Elizabeth had a look of confusion as a silence fell over the area, "Heh, so you finally noticed my presence." A familiar voice to Tamano came to form the left changing room, "It took you long enough."

"Well, I thought I sensed something earlier," Tamano no Mae said as she crossed her arms with a cocky smile, "But because it was so small, it wasn't a threat to someone like me." She said a before the door to the changing room opened walking out was a girl who looked almost identical to Tamano no Mae. However, there were some notable differences. The new fox faunus were a matching kimono, but hers was red in color. Her eye was wilder than Tamano no Mae's and her head more unkempt. But the most notable difference was her hands and feet, both of which were animals like with thick brown fur and black nails. She glared over to Tamano no Mae, a sinister smile on her face.

"Who is that?" Ruby whispered over to Elizabeth.

"That's Tamano no Mae's younger sister, Tamano Cat," The idol faunus responded, "But don't let that name fool you, she is actually a fox faunus."

"Oh," Ruby said, "Then why is she called 'Cat'."

"Because I don't want anything associated with my sisters." The false cat faunus responded overhearing the conversation, "I go by Cat and nothing else."

"You were always the whiniest one of the bunch," Tamano no Mae responded, "Always getting into fights and wanting to protect cute boys so they would notice you." Her eyes then narrowed as she glared at her sister, "But they always ran away from you, everyone. Like you were some type of beast."

"That may be true," Cat responded as a look of anger filled her eyes, "But at least I wasn't the one pulling pranks on the boys just, so they would notice me that way. At least I don't bully others to get what I want. At least I don't torture my teammates with chores or extort money out of someone I just meet for a harmless accident!" She said as she walked over to her older sister looking her in the eyes as she smiled, "I may be a beast, but you're a monster." Her comment caused the smile to fade from the fox faunus face. The two sister's glares at each other, each radiating an aura the matched their kimono.

Ruby turned to Elizabeth with worry in her eyes, "Are you sure they're sisters?" She asked, "Because I think they hate each other."

"They are sisters," Elizabeth responded, "Only someone with the name Tamano can be that abrasive."

"Elizabeth," Tamano no Mae called to her teammate, "You go do your own thing for a while. I need to have a chat with my sister for a while. And Ruby, since you are new, I'll let this little snafu pass." The smile then returned to the fox faunus' face, "I'll just give the ruined clothes to my little sister."

"I don't need them," Cat responded, "And I doubt they would fit me anyway."

"You're right, what was I thinking," Tamano no Mae responded, "With those muscles from being a berserker class, nice clothes must be hard to fit." Her eyes then narrowed again with a sinister smile, "I mean, if you can get them past those hideous hands and feet of yours."

"At least I don't try to look taller with those dumb shoes of yours," Cat responded, causing the two the resume their glaring.

"Well, I'll just go then and take Ruby with me," Elizabeth said as she started to pull Ruby away from the Tamano sisters, "I think Altera made the right call just going to the buffet instead." She then looked back the silver eyed girl, "Don't worry about them. If they really wanted to kill each other, they would have done it long ago." The idol faunus eyes then wondered a bit, "But they have gotten pretty close." A smile then returned to her face, "Now, let me help you find something to wear that's cool."

"Uh, thanks to Elizabeth." Ruby said as the two left the shop, "Where are we going?"

"Oh, I know a new store that's perfect for us." Elizabeth responded, "And now that we are friends, you can call me Eliza."

About an hour later.

The sky turned color had changed to an orange hue as the sun began to set. Astolfo stayed at his bench looking down at his scroll. He looked to his left and right, expecting his roommate to be approaching, "What's taking her so long?" He said with a slight look of worry, "I hope she didn't get lost."

"Astolfo!" He turned around to hear a voice call his name, discovering it was Elizabeth stopping near the corner, "Hey there!"

"Oh, hey Elizabeth." Astolfo said has he got up, "What are you doing-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the idol faunus spoke up, "You should save your words and prepare for the show."

"What?" Astolfo responded.

"Allow me to present you, created from the fashion mind of Elizabeth Bathory." The idol faunus posed as she gestured towards the corner, "Pink Rose Ruby!" She said with a few seconds delay, Ruby walking out from the corner. Her outfit was entirely different, the color changing from red and black to pink and white. There were multiple layers of frills on her skirt, each of a different shade of pink. Around her waist was a ring pink roses, with a red rose at the center of her chest. On top of her head was a large pink and white striped top hat. It was decorated with roses, as well as a couple of stuff animal pigs and squirrels. Ruby's face was slightly red as she walked, trying to make sure not to hit anything as she walked.

"Well," Ruby asked Astolfo, "How does this look?"

"Wow," The svelte paladin responded with a smile, "I almost didn't recognize you. That outfit does look really cute on you." He said with Ruby's face getting even redder, but a slight smile form on her face. Astolfo then looked over to the idol faunus, who had a proud look on her face, "Tho, I could tell right away that Elizabeth helped you put pick it out. Thanks for that."

"No problem," Elizabeth responded.

"She really did a lot to help me pick this out," Ruby added on, "But, I don't think I can fight in a skirt this big."

"That, and you don't want to ruin such an expensive outfit." Elizabeth added on, "I hope you don't mind that Astolfo, she said it was your treat."

"I don't care, so long as Ruby is happy." The svelte paladin added on, "Now, we can head back to the academy." Suddenly, he heard the stomach growl of the silver-eyed girl, "But, maybe the three of us should just have dinner in town here first."

"That's fine," Elizabeth added on, "I worked up an appetite picking out those clothes." She then turned back to Ruby, "Invite me next time you go shopping and I can pick out something more combat friendly." She said before rising her right hand into the air, causing bluish particles to gather. Suddenly, an oddly shaped metal lance appeared in her hand. The weapon had a wire coil around its body and had a microphone attached to the opposite end from the spearheads, "I make sure to wear outfits that my Kilenc Sarkany can't snag onto."

"Wow," Ruby said as her eyes lit up as she looked at the spear, "Your weapon has an electronic setup allowing an amp for the sound you project from your spear." She said before turning to, Astolfo, who had a look of over overwhelmed with the information, "It's a lance that's also a powerful mic."

"I guess you know a lot about weapons," The svelte paladin said before an idea popped into his head, "I know just the person you should meet, you two will have a lot to talk about."

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"I'll tell you later, once I have had something to eat," Astolfo said as he started to walk away.

Ruby began to fallow him but was soon stopped by Elizabeth, "Hey Ruby," The idol faunus said as she blushed a bit, "You think my lance is cool?"

"Of course," Ruby said with a smile, "It's very cool Eliza." Her comment caused Elizbeth to smile as her eyes filled with joy, she hugged the silver-eyed girl tightly, "Uh, you okay?" She asked with the tears of joy filling Elizabeth's face.

 **AN: There go, Jaune has a little tumble but recovers. However, his sister is getting a little suspicious now. I love writing awkward Ruby with her fast talk panic. Her and Elizabeth being friends is something I really do like and am happy with how it happens. Also, her wearing Elizabeth's stage three outfit was a nice moment to write. She won't wear it casually, but I do like the idea of her trying new things and think it does work with her character. The combat skirt reference was also fun, that was my favorite joke from the early series, (I do really like RWBY's comedic tone at times, more than it's a serious one. If you want to say your favorite gag/joke in RWBY, I would love to hear it). She is getting a little bit more comfortable now and making friends a lot easier, which is what I want to do for her character at the start. She also sees a sisterly relationship very different from her own with the now introduction of Tamano Cat. That only leaves one more team leader to introduce soon. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	20. Chapter 19 - Gazing into the Future

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is a roller-coaster of emotions and has some big moments in it. The story is progressed to the next phase, where we see some more of the interactions reaching their peak. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 19 – Gazing into the Future**

 _Emerald._

Back on the ship, Emerald walked on the main deck. She looked over to see Drake at the helm, guiding at the wheel. The female pioneer walked away from the wheel to head over to the green-haired thief, "It's about to be sundown. So, I'm going to rest in my cabin now." Drake said as she stretched her arms behind her back.

"The ship will be okay on this course," Emerald asked.

"Yep," Drake said as she looked up to the crow's nest, seeing Robin Hood atop on watch, "Thanks to him being an archer, he could see pretty far." She then looked back down at Emerald, "He let me know we won't run into anything big." She then had a slight giggle in her voice as she saw an anxious look on her face, "You don't have to be so tense always. Try and relax. Talk with some of the students here."

"I'm not tense," Emerald responded in a bitter voice, "I just don't want to be fish food if we run into something big." Drake then laughed as she walked away from the girl heading towards a door under the deck.

"Again, try to talk with the others." Drake said as she opened the door, "I'm heading to my quarters, you and the other students have the rooms in under the forecast deck." Emerald nodded before Drake walked closed the door behind her.

Emerald sighed as she looked over the rest of the ship, "She thinks she knows me," The green-haired thief said under her breath, "Why would I need to talk to any of these people." She then looked over to see Jekyll on the right side of the main deck. He looked over to her with a stern expression, glancing over to the opposite side of the deck. Emerald looked over to see he was pointing her towards Neo, who was looking over to rail at the open ocean, "Oh, I forgot." Emerald said before she sighed again, "I have to play matchmaker now." She walked over to Neo as Jekyll tried to look over the rails, not wanting to spy on them.

Neo had a smile on her face as she listened to the waves crash against the ship. The orientation of her eye colors changed as she blinked. Once Emerald was a few steps away, the pint-sized girl turned to see her approaching.

"Hey," Emerald said as Neo waved, "Listen, I need to have a little girl talk with you. Is that okay?" The green haired thief asked, but Neo remained mute. After a few seconds of silence, Emerald spoke back up, "I'll just take that as a yes." Emerald said before clearing her throat, "Well, we need to talk about your little crush." She said before pointing over to the assassin in glasses over, "Now, Jekyll talked to me. I found out he does like you a lot, but he's too scared to ask you how you feel about him. He asked me to do it. So, but which one do you like?" Neo responded by turning her head slightly. Again, another awkward silence fell between the two, "I mean, do you him being that chicken Jekyll? Or, him being that psychopath Hyde?" Emerald asked but she had to clear her throat again, "I mean, I know both are the same person. But, which do you prefer?" She said as she thought she could have phrased that better.

"…" Neo responded as she smiled towards the green-haired thief.

"Will you just give say something already!" Emerald retorted in an annoyed voice. Neo smirked as she took out her scroll. She typed a quick message before putting the device back in her pocket. Emerald had a look of confusion before she heard her own scroll buzz with a message. As she pulled it out of her pocket, Neo walked away and towards Jekyll. Emerald looked at her scroll to see a message from the pint-sized girl. The green-haired thief read the message softy aloud, noticing a heart-shaped emoticon at the end, "Both."

On the right side of the main deck, Neo tapped Jekyll on his right shoulder. He turned to see her with a smile on her face, "Uh Neopolitan." He said with slight worry in his voice, "Did you talk with your fri-" in the middle of his sentence, Neo reached up to his face and took off his glasses. The pint-sized girl then put them on her face as she looked up at him, changing the orientation of her eye color, "I…ah…" Jekyll was trying to speak as his face started to turn red. Suddenly, Neo reached up to put her hands on the back of his neck. She softly pulled his face towards hers, their lips meeting as she closed her eyes. Jekyll's eyes widened to form the passion before they slowly closed. He placed his hands over Neo's waist. After a few seconds, their kiss ended, but Jekyll still held onto her. The two smiled at each other as Neo had a slight giggle.

"Look at that," Emerald said with a smile as she saw the two from across the deck, "At least someone took my advice."

"What advice?" Emerald heard someone say from above her head. She looked up to see Nora was the person, scaling down on the ratlines, "By the way, I'm Nora. I don't think we actually introduced ourselves." The orange-haired berserker said as she jumped down onto the deck.

"No, we really didn't." The green-haired thief said as she extended her right hand, "I'm Emerald." She said as Nora shook her hand, "I was just doing helping out some people express their feelings."

"Oh," Nora said, "How do you that?"

"Why," Emerald said with a smile, "You want to confess to the Ren guy."

"Wha- how did you?" Nora responded as her face turned red.

"Please, I know how to read people." Emerald responded before glancing back over to Neo, "Most people," She said under her breath before looking back to Nora, "Besides, you make it out to be obvious with your attitude towards his roommate."

Nora sighed as she leaned up next to the railing, "I didn't always feel this way about him. It's just now that a lot of this is popping up." She said before her voice spiked a bit, "I mean, I always liked him. We have known each other for a long time and he is one of my closet friends." her face turned red again as he words stumbled, "I mean when I say always liked him I mean I-" She stopped in mid-sentence as she didn't know what to say. She then sighed, "I don't know how I feel right now. I like him, but I don't know how to say it."

"Then talk to him it," Emerald responded.

"Wha?" Nora replied, causing Emerald to sigh.

"Go up and talk to him out your feelings." Emerald reiterate, "Just tell him how you feel."

"I told you I don't know how I feel!" Nora responded, "What am I supposed to say?" She then broke eye contact with the green-haired thief, "Even if I could, what says he will feel the same way." Her eyes then filled with slight anger, "Or if he feels that way about his new roommate."

"As you said, you two have known each other for a long time." Emerald responded, "I'm sure he would pick you over some girl he met last night." She then smiled as Nora looked back at her, "Besides, you'll never know unless you ask."

Nora eyes filled with determination at the sudden realization, "You're right," She said as she smiled, "Thanks Em." Suddenly, she looked over to see Ren walking up to the forecast deck, "I'll ask him right now." She said before walking away from the green-haired thief.

"Wow," Emerald said to herself, "Maybe that professor was right about talking to these people." She then crossed her arms in confidence, "At least they are taking my advice." She then looked over to see Robin Hood climbing down from the crow's nest, "Maybe I should take my own advice." She said to herself before taking a deep breath. She exhaled before walking over to the orange-haired archer.

"Hey there," Robin said with a smirk as jumped onto the deck, landing on his feet, "I saw that you were talking with the others. You seem to be pretty popular."

"Well, you know," Emerald said with a giggle in her voice, "People have been asking me for relationship advice and I have been doing my best to help them out."

"I know what you mean." Robin Hood responded with a tired voice.

"What do you mean?" Emerald inquired.

"Oh, that Ren guy asked me for love advice when we went out to check for Grimm." Robin Hood responded as he crossed his arms, "He wanted to know how to talk with Kiyohime about how he feels."

"Kiyohime?" Emerald said as she had a somewhat scared look.

"Yeah, he's really head over heels for her. Must be love at first sight." The orange-haired archer responded, "I told him to man up and talk to her about his feeling. What do you think, pretty good advice?"

"Yeah…yeah." Emerald said as she slowly back up, "I'm sorry, I have to go." She then ran over to the forecast deck as Robin had a look of confusion.

 _Nora._

As Nora walked up the stairs, she looked over to see Ren walking over to near the bowsprit. The orange-haired berserker had a smile on her face as she walked over towards him. However, her smile faded as she noticed Kiyohime was who he was walking towards. The draconic faunus was watching the sunset before looking at Ren approach. Nora's eyes filled with rage as she saw her giggle at his arrival. She took a few more steps towards the two. But she stopped herself before either could notice her.

Nora's expression changed to denial as she noticed something, Ren was smiling back at Kiyohime. But it wasn't a smile of just being happy to see her, it was something more. He began to talk, but Nora could not hear him. However, he was saying something that made Kiyohime's smile evolve to the same one Ren had. Nora began to back up as she saw the draconic faunus give a small nod. Ren then moved into hug Kiyohime, causing Nora's eyes to fill with sadness.

While she was in the middle of hugging him, Kiyohime looked over to see Nora in the distance. The smile on draconic faunus' face turned ominous as her eyes half opened glared at Nora. She then broke eye contact with the orange-haired berserker and gazed in Ren's eyes. Kiyohime then moved her face close to Ren's as they closed their eyes together. Their lips meet as Nora heartrate slowed down. She turned away and ran back down the stairs, bumping in the Emerald without breaking her stride.

"Nora…" Emerald said as Nora ran into the door under the forecast deck. She followed the girl beyond the door but found that it led to a hallway of many rooms. Emerald had no idea which one Nora was in until she heard crying from the room on her left. She walked over to the room and pushed the door open, finding Nora sitting in the far-right corner, her head in her arms. Emerald knelt near the heartbroken girl, placing her right hand on the girl's back. Nora's raised her head to look up at Emerald, her eyes red as tears uncountable poured down her face, "I'm so sorry." Emerald said, causing Nora's to whine in depression. She cried loudly as her head fell into Emerald's lap. The green-haired thief let the heartbroken girl shed her tears, cradling her in her arms as her own eyes filled with regret.

Outside the room, Frankenstein stood as she listened to Nora cry in pain. The girl in a wedding dress gritted her teeth as she tightened her fists. Her eyes filled with rage as sparks of electricity radiated from her body.

 _Jeanne._

Back the academy in the medical wing, Jaune and Jeanne were in one of the rooms while Caren sat in a chair looking at a clipboard. The male Arc remained shirtless sitting up on the bed. While his sister remained seated at to his left, back in her casual outfit, "Looks like all the test came back negative." Caren said in a somewhat disappointed voice, causing Jaune to have a look of misunderstanding, "That gunk seems to be Grimm in natural, but it's a lot weaker in potency any other samples in our archive. We need to run more test on it, but you seem fine."

"That's a relief," Jaune said as he sighed he looked over to a bushel of his clothed with a lamenting look in his eyes, "That was one of my favorite hoodies, but that stuff won't come out."

"You mean that bunny one?" Jeanne added with a slight giggle, "Don't you have dozens of those?"

"Yeah…but." Jaune said as he scratched the back of his head, "That was special to me."

"Regardless," Caren said as she placed the clipboard on a counter and placed her hands in her coat pocket, "You're fine medical. The gunk didn't seem to have any effect on your health or even your pathetic stats."

"Did you have to say pathetic." Jaune responded, "I mean, I'm not that weak."

"I wouldn't have thought your average stats were D. You seem to be well built for your age." Caren said bluntly as she looked at the male Arc, causing Jaune's face to turn red as he covered his chest with his arms, "However, this can happen if the individual is now compendial with their starting class. If you could switch classes, one that better matches your mindset and understanding of your abilities, your stats would change and improve."

"But I thought saber was the best class?" Jaune pleaded, "I don't want to change out of it after just being put in it." he then turned to his sister, "What can I do to improve my stats?"

"Training and practice help," Jeanne replied, "You said you did a lot of that at Beacon, right?"

"Yeah, but," Jaune said in disappointment as he got off the bed, "I just thought my hard work there would have been paying off by now."

The two Arc sibling then walked towards the door exiting the room, but Jeanne turned back at the last minute, "Thank you for your help, Professor Hortensia." Jeanne said as she bowed. Caren waved before she looked back to the basket of dirty clothes.

As they exited the room, another person was exiting from the room on their right. Jeanne looked over to see it was Edmond Dantes, his chest wrapped with bandages. "Oh, Count!" She called out to him, causing him to turn to her within a somewhat enraged expression his eyes.

"If it isn't the Saint of the Flag," The Avenger said in a somewhat surprised voice, "Why are you here?"

"I was with my brother doing a checkup after our mission," Jeanne clarified as she walked over to the Avenger. She then looks back to the male Arc, "Jaune, this is the Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes."

"Nice to meet you," Jaune said with a slight wave, but the avenger remained stoic in his somewhat angry expression.

Jeanne noticed the bandages wrapped around Edmond's chest, "What happened to you?" She said sincerely as she leaned in close for a better look. She noticed slight burn marks some bloodstains still on the bandages, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, this happened during combat training." The Count said as he took a step back, "I don't need you to worry about me."

"Oh, okay." Jeanne said as she walked over to Jaune, looking over to him, "Let's get back, Pyrrha and Mash have already called it night. We should too."

"You're right but give me a second, I'll catch up with you," Jaune said with a smile, causing his sister to nod before she walked away.

"Bye Count" Jeanne said before she turned the corner and was out of sight.

Suddenly, Jaune turned his attention to Edmond. A look of anger was in the male Arc's eyes, causing the Count's expression to change to bewilderment, "Listen, I know what you're doing." Jaune said as he walked over to Edmond, "Don't think your 'cool guy act' will work on her."

"…What are you talking about?" The Count responded.

"Don't play dumb," Jaune responded, "I know you were trying to flirt with my sister just now." His voice then filled with brotherly pride, "As her brother, it's my job to protect her from bad guys like you."

"What!?" Edmond responded, "No, I wasn't flirting with her!"

"Oh, come on!" Jaune responded in disregarded, "You walk out of the room next door at the same time, not wearing a shirt, so she can see your injury and feel sympathy for you." He then crossed his arms, "And what's with your little nicknames for each other, huh?"

"…Are you an idiot?" Edmond responded with the aura of hate radiating from his body, "That meeting just now was just a coincidence. Those are not nicknames, they are titles acquired form our extra classes placement. And this 'act' you speak of, is NOT an act! No matter what people tell you…especially Cleopatra!"

Jaune vision remained unbroke as he walked backward, raising his right hand, and pointing at his own eyes, "I'm watching you." He said as he pointed back at Edmond with his right hand. He then backed into the wall before turning the corner in embarrassment. Edmond still had a look of confusion before sighing of exhaustion and walking the other direction.

 _Ruby._

Having returned to the academy, Ruby yawned as she and Astolfo made their way back to their room. The silver eyed girl was back in her normal attire, carrying the Pink Rose outfit in a large plastic bag, "Well, how did you like your first day?" Astolfo asked.

"It was fun!" Ruby responded with a smile, "I wasn't expecting to meet so many cool people." She the readjusted her grip on her bag, "And I defiantly wasn't expecting to get some clothes like this during school."

"What can I say," The svelte paladin said with a smile, "I like to have people try new things." He then looked down at his own bags of clothes, "but I'm probably going to be up all night organizing my new outfits after taking my shower."

"Shower?" Ruby thought before she remembered her encounter with Astolfo, causing her face to turn red, "I-I'm going to go one ahead, get to the room, and shower first!" she said as she passed Astolfo, "Don't worry, I'll leave you plenty of hot water and then I'll get right to bed!" She then ran past him, leaving a trail of rose petals in behind.

"Wait, Ruby," Astolfo called as she turned the corner, "Don't run that fast down these hal-" before she could finish the sentence, a loud thud was heard over the corner.

Astolfo caught up to her roommate, discovering her on the floor, dizzy from the collision. He looked over to she had run in Archer, who had a look of annoyance on his face as he stood still. The silver-haired man had a small bag in his hand, "You really shouldn't go that fast in places like that." Archer said to Ruby as she got up, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," Ruby said as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry,"

"Well, what are the odds," Astolfo said as he walked between the two, looking back to Ruby, "I was going to introduce you to him tomorrow, but fate has made other plans for us." Astolfo then patted Archer on the chest, causing a look of confusion on the silver-haired man's face, "This guy right here is the resident weapons expert at this academy."

"Really?" Ruby said as her eyes light up

"That's not my title." Archer corrected, "And I'm in kind of a hurry." He the bag in his had slightly, "My roommate wanted to stay outside the academy tonight. Or rather it was my mother insisting on it." He said begrudgingly before he started to walk past Astolfo and Ruby, "She asked me to get her bag form our room. You and I can talk another time, goodnight."

"Wait!" Ruby called out to Archer, "Can you at least show me your Noble Phantasm?" her comment caused the silver-haired man to stop, "I mean, I have seen a few today like Eliza's, Professor's Cu, and even Astolfo's."

"Well, one of mine," Astolfo said smugly with his arms crossed.

"The point is, I really want to see all these Noble Phantasm while I'm here." Ruby added, "So please, can I see it now!"

"Wait for a second," Archer said as he turned slightly, "If you saw that Lancer's Gae Bolg, you're the one he fought this morning." He then had a slight chuckle as he continued, "You're the one he said dropped a locker on his head to knock him out."

"Well, I didn't mean to really." The sliver-eyed girl responded, causing Archer to turn to her in slight shock.

"Wait, that really happened?" Archer replied, "I guess I owe him an apology." He said under his breath. Suddenly, an idea came to him, "Tell you what, how about I show you my Noble Phantasm tomorrow during a little sparring match."

"Really," Astolfo responded, raising one eyebrow, "That's kind of unlike you to impose a challenge like that."

"Well, if you beat Cu Chulainn, you must be pretty skilled. I'm pretty sure I can convince him to allow us to fight." Archer said as he had a confident smile on his face, "Then, I can show you a wide range of weapon abilities."

"Wow!" Ruby said as she gained the smile on her face, "I'm so excited."

"See," Astolfo said as she patted on Ruby on the back, "I'll be sure to cheer for you on the sidelines."

"You're fighting also, Astolfo," Archer said as he looked over to him.

"Eh?" Astolfo responded.

"My roommate is not going to want to wait on the sidelines during the match," The silver-haired man said as his smile turned somewhat sinister, "And you said yourself, she hasn't seen all of your Noble Phantasms yet."

"Well, I guess you have a point there," Astolfo said he had a line of sweat form on the right side of his head. His expression then changed to confidence as he looked at Archer, "Okay then, a tag-team match it is." He then patted his roommate on the back again, "Ruby and I are going to mop the floor with you two."

"Yeah," Ruby said with enthusiasm, but her expression changed to confusion, "Uh, who is your roommate again?"

"You'll know tomorrow." Archer said as he turned around, "I see you then, Ruby." He then walked away as Ruby turned to Astolfo with glee. Once he was out of their sight, the smile on his face changed a sterner expression, "Her eyes were silver also." Archer thought to himself, remembering his first encounter with Cinder last night, "What type of powers do those eyes have?"

 _?_

In the middle of the night, near the border to the forest, a pile of black sludge bubbled. The sludge moved out of a bush, growing in mass as it pooled on the dirt. In the center of the pool, something concentrated and hardened. Slowly, the sludge piled and gained height, reaching a few feet into the air in the shape of a pillar. It continued to grow and morph, forming arms and legs, the shape now becoming like that of a human being. Once the creature had reached a stable position it looked down at its hands but had no face on its head. It was still covered in the black sludge, but that gunk started to solidify quickly. The harden material cracked as the creature moved is now formed fingers. As it raised its head, the sludge broke partially off. Underneath were two eyes with golden colored iris, each glared over to the academy in the distance.

 **AN: There you go, a lot has happened now. That was my first time writing a kissing moment like that, so I hope they turned out well. I really did like writing Neo in this chapter. I was happy with how I choose to write her here, to me, that was the best way I could show her non-verbally displaying that she chooses both personalities. Sadly, it doesn't work out that well for Nora in this chapter. I already know some people are going to be upset with that choice, believe me, it hurt to write it out that section. However, a reason I write crossovers to have the opportunity to do relationships that wouldn't normally happen. I want some of the relationships here to feel more dramatic and sometimes unexpected, it helps me keep things interesting. The drama for that part of the cast is only getting started.**

 **I show Edmond again, and I should clarify a few things with him. He calls himself those three titles, but he hasn't earned any through the trail like other characters I have mentioned. Because he demands people call him by all three, nobody humors him and just calls him by his name. Jeanne is the only person that calls him by at least by his Count title, and he allows it because she is also an extra class student and he made the Saint of the Flag name up for her. Does he feel anything for her? Jaune certainty thinks there is. Due to that, he acts as a protective brother in this chapter, which was a lot more fun to do than I thought. Jaune is medically fine from his little slip, but that doesn't mean something couldn't have formed of him.**

 **And finally, Ruby met Archer. A little less climatic than people may have thought, but I have a lot of plan for that starring match. It won't be the next chapter because of the planning I have to do for it, but it will be soon. Anyway, sorry for the note at the end, just had a lot I had to explain. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	21. RWBY Servant Sheet First Day

**AN: Hey everyone, I have something a little different here. Upon request, I made a bonus chapter that deals with the way the RWBY characters are seen in this Fate Crossover. I went into some details of this in chapter 2, but here is a concreate state sheet so you know how I look at the characters in this type of crossover.**

 **There are a few things I need to clear up before any of these questions arise. The stat strengths were calculated off my interpretation of how I viewed the RWBY character from the show in their world and how the show tries to build up these characters. They were not compared to that of Fate series characters, nor should these numbers be taken as law, just a frame of reference for the future. Aura is not a stat her, it was used in calculating all stats at various levels. Some semblances varied in their classification as a personal skill, noble phantasm, or even as a stat. I didn't include height, weight, or gender because those are all self-explanatory. I do have alignment for those who wondered how I write the characters to fit their motivations. I define the personal skills, but the class abilities I left blank descriptions for. Note, some of the personal skills are made with humor in mind as they make a reference to something or do something funny. I have the weapon here as noble phantasms with the Rank I give them and the type I think they are. Also, some of the characters didn't have an official weapon name, so I made some up to fit the characters. (Some are just what came to mind as something cool, others are a word or phrase translated in another language. I love what I came up with for Neo, even though it's dumb). This chapter will change and update as I move on in the story as the character gain new skills and Noble Phantasms. Some may have a class change, others may even have a alter, but I don't want to spoil anything. Hope you enjoy this bonus chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day. Note this has spoilers for up to chapter 25 at the end of this chapter.**

 **Fate's Collide RWBY Servant Sheet**

Name: **Ruby Rose**

Roommate: Astolfo

Age: 15

Alignment: Neutral Good

Class: Rider

Strength: Rank D

Endurance: Rank D

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank EX

Noble Phantasm:

Crescent Rose - Rank B - Anti-Army

Ride yet to be assigned

Class Abilities:

Riding Skill C

Skills:

Rule of the Rose EX – Allows rose petals to manifest out of thin air upon reaching high speeds.

Sliver Contrails A – Skill not yet unlocked

Name: **Weiss Schnee**

Roommate: Maria Antoinette

Age: 17

Alignment: Lawful Good

Class: Saber

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank A

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank D

Noble Phantasm:

Myrtenaster - Rank B - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Item Construction E

Magic Resistance A

Skills:

Glyph A – Allows the user to create multiple types of magical symbols to aid them in combat variety. At Rank EX, the user can perform summons of fallen enemies.

Name: **Blake Belladonna**

Roommate: Atalanta

Age: 17

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank D

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank C

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank B

Noble Phantasm:

Gambol Shroud - Rank C - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Presence Concealment B

Skills:

Shadow Step B – Allows the user to create an identical copy of themselves to fool the opponent. At Rank B, the user can bind their shadow to element to increase their usefulness.

Name: **Yang Xiao Long**

Roommate: Mordred

Age: 17

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Class: Berserker

Strength: Rank A

Endurance: Rank A+

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank C

Luck: Rank E

Noble Phantasm:

Ember Celica - Rank B - Anti-Unit(Self)

Class Abilities:

Mad Enhancement C

Skills:

Monstrous Strength B – The user has near superhuman levels of strength.

Dragon's Hair B – Allows the Mad Enhancement ability to be moved to Rank EX if the user losses a significant amount of hair.

Just Saiyan C – Allows the user to increase their own strength equal to the damage taken in combat. Added effects include the user's hair become more luminescent.

Name: **Jaune Arc**

Roommate: Jeanne D' Arc

Age: 17

Alignment: Neutral Good

Class: Saber

Strength: Rank E

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank E

Agility: Rank D

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Crocea Mors - Rank D - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Magic Resistance C

Riding E

Skills:

Charisma B – Increase the strength of nearby allies during combat

 **AN for Jaune: Okay, I have gotten far too many reviews about how his stats are too low considering his background. Yes, they are a little lower than they should be, but he is a weak charecter that people are giving too much credit to. For one, this is not current volume Jaune, this is between V1 and 2. I know Pyrrha said that he has a lot of aura, but that is her opinion, not Chaldea's, who has a higher frame of reference. It may be a lot, but he didn't even know how to use his aura when he first went to Beacon. He still loses aura the same rate as everyone else, even faster considering some of the early fights he is in. His strength is lower than Ruby's, which is odd for most. However, I'll point out that Ruby never complains about her weapon's weight. Jaune had a problem with his sword and shield being heavy, but Ruby wields the massive frame that is Crescent Rose like nothing. Also, E rank is still high for _average_ people, being about ten times what a _normal_ person can do. He is lucky to have stats considering he lied to get into Beacon with false paper. At Chaldea, with the training he already has done with Pyrrha, he at least fits as fighter now. The point an ending point, this is my opinion on his charecter, a charecter I generally do not like a lot for the way he is written in the main show. To those who haven't read ahead, he does get a class change that impacts his stats positives, but I have had some people say that it was too high of a jump. And with these comments, I will never write this charecter in a fanfic of mine again. He has a good conclusion here, but this is the last story I will ever directly put him in. Sorry for the rant, but I am done with these comments about this charecter stats. **

Name: **Pyrrha Nikos**

Roommate: Mash Kyrielight

Age: 17

Alignment: Lawful Good

Class: Lancer

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank A

Magical Energy: Rank A+

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Milo and Akuno - Rank C - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Magic Resistance A

Skills:

Essene of Polarity A – Allows the user to manipulate the polarity of metals.

Eternal Arms Mastership C – Can still make use of fighting style even when under the influence of some mental hinderance.

Name: **Lie Ren**

Roommate: Kiyohime

Age: 17

Alignment: True Neutral

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank C

Endurance: Rank E

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank D

Noble Phantasm:

Storm Flower - Rank D - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Presence Concealment C

Skills:

Absence of Negativity B – Allows the user to hide their negative emotion, effetely concealing them form Grimm.

Name: **Nora Valkyrie**

Roommate: Frankenstein

Age:17

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Class: Berserker

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank B

Magical Energy: Rank C

Agility: Rank C

Luck: Rank D

Noble Phantasm:

Magnhild - Rank C - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Mad Enhancement D

Skills:

Mad Translator A– Allows communication with those of the Mad Enhancement ability who have lost their sanity or ability to speak.

Monstrous Strength C – The user has near superhuman levels of strength.

Static Veins B – Allows the user to harness the power of electricity form inside their body.

Name: **Cinder Fall**

Roommate: Shirou Emiya (Archer)

Age: It says 21

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Class: Archer

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank A

Magical Energy: Rank A+

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Burning Glass - Rank B - Anti-Unit.

Fall Maiden – Rank A – Anti-Fortress

Class Abilities:

Independent Action A

Magic Resistance E

Skills:

Megalomaniac A – Hunger for power allows her the ability to learn, or even steal the personal skills or Noble Phantasms from almost anyone.

Affliction to Grimm C – Grimm don't target the individual and are less hostile around them.

Name: **Mercury Black**

Roommate: Gilgamesh

Age: 17

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank A

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank E

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank E

Noble Phantasm:

Gale Striders - Rank C - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Independent Action E

Presence Concealment E

Skills:

Battle Continuation C – Allows the users to survive otherwise fatal blows or be awake when one would normally be unconscious.

Name: **Emerald Sustrai**

Roommate: Robin Hood

Age: 17

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank D

Endurance: Rank E

Magical Energy: Rank B

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank E

Noble Phantasm:

Alcanzar Estrellas - Rank E - Anti-Unit

Hallucination – Rank C – Anti-Mind and Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Presence Concealment A

Skills:

NP Enhancement D – Allows the user to boost the effectiveness of their hallucination Rank to B, allowing for multiple people to be affected by the hallucinations.

Name: **Neopolitan**

Roommate: Henry Jekyll

Age: 19

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Class: Rider

Strength: Rank C

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank B

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank B

Noble Phantasm:

Ombrello - Rank B - Anti-Unit

Ride yet to be assigned

Class Abilities:

Riding EX

Mad Enhancement E

Presence Concealment E

Skills:

Triple Class E – User has traits of a Rider, Berserker, and Assassin class character. However, one characteristic outweighs the others immensely.

Knowledge of Respect and Harmony D – Can allow attacks to become unreadable for any opponent to follow.

Insanity E – The user is mentally insane. At Rank E, absence of speech occurs, but the ability to speak is still possible from the individual

Name: **Glynda Goodwitch**

Roommate: None

Age: 28

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Class: Caster

Strength: Rank E

Endurance: Rank D

Magical Energy: Rank A+

Agility: Rank C

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Rozdzka - Rank D - Anti-World

Class Abilities:

Territory Creation A

Skills:

Recreation A – Allows the user to full reconstruct a damaged area to its complete form.

Spoiler of Chapter 25

Name: **Jaune Arc** **(Alter)**

Age: 17

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Class: Saber

Strength: Rank A

Endurance: Rank B

Magical Energy: Rank EX

Agility: Rank E

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Balmung (Stolen)- Rank B+ - Anti-Army

Class Abilities:

Magic Resistance B

Mad Enhancement C

Skills:

Sadistic Charisma B – Increase the strength of user but loses composure and defense overtime.

Robust Health A – Damage taken is reduced and wounds heal far quicker than normal.

 **Edit: Now, in adding Alter Jaune, I updated this page to include his character card. He will not have nor; will he get a card like the other students. But I felt this was a good why to show his character and some of the skills he will have. I know I got a lot of slack for Jaune in making his sheet, but I think a lot of people will agree with how his alter is presented. As with most alters, they present themselves in a certain way compared to their original. For Jaune, his alter is the complete opposite spectrum of his views towards his goals and composure. Jaune sees himself as wanting to be the hero, wanting to do great things so people will remember him as a true hunter. His alter want to be a villain, believe that more people will acknowledge him if he is the bad guy, and he loves being the bad guy. Jaune's weapon is a hand-me-down, his alter stole his own weapon. Jaune is well meaning goofball, his alter is a sadistic prick. You get the point now of how this character will be presented, he is one I wanted to do since the start of the story and one that I think I will have a lot of fun writing. As other character like this come in or change classes, I'll update this page like so and place it after the most recent chapter for context. Hope this is a little bit better and have a nice day.**


	22. Chapter 20 - Friends of all Types

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one finally introduces a character a lot of you have been asking about. This also marks the start of the second day, jumping right into it now with the events continuing to transpire. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 20 – Friends of all Types**

 _Pyrrha._

The next morning, Pyrrha and Jaune were already in their first combat class in the arena. Next to the male Arc was Mash, and his sister sat to their right. The four sat in the stands surrounded by other students, each wearing their combat attire. The red-haired warrior looked to her right to see Mercury sitting alone. He had a tired look as he rubbed the back of his neck. She looked over to her leader, who gave her a slight nod. Pyrrha then got up and walked over to the grey-haired assassin, "Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, "You look like you didn't sleep right."

"I didn't," Mercury responded with an irritated voice, "They sent me back to my 'room' last night after they said I had recovered. I would have been better off sleeping in the medical wing than on that my stiff as a board bed." He then twisted his neck slightly, making a slight cracking noise, "I heard you fought against Gilgamesh also." He then glared at her, "But at least your loss wasn't recorded."

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha said as she sat down next to him, "I didn't think he would be that strong."

"No kidding." Mercury responded after sighing, "Everyone at this school is a freak of nature."

"Maybe, you're just too weak, Mongrel." A familiar voice called from behind the two. They turned to discover it was Gilgamesh in his black outfit, his arms crossed. As the King of Heroes grinned, Mercury had a look of panic in his eyes, "Don't be afraid, Mongrel, I mean you no harm in this encounter."

"Really," Mercury said as a line of sweat fell down the right side of his face, "Because, despite what said, I would rather not go back to the infirmary."

"Do you get some sick joy of treating people less than you?" Pyrrha responded with slight rage in her eyes.

"I treat others with the proper respect they deserve, Pyrrha Nikos." Gilgamesh responded before turning to Mercury, "And this Mongrel has done nothing yet to impress me. Giving no reason for me to address him as a friend."

"Well, I don't need your respect." Mercury said as he looked away from the King of Heroes, "I don't know how anyone could be your friend."

"Oh, is that so?" A new voice was heard from the right of the group of three. Once they looked over Gilgamesh's smile changed to one of slight glee. Approaching them was a person whose gender was hard to define. Their hair was lime green and very long. The clothes were a gown of pure white, but the person wore no shoes with their feet exposed. What looked like a thin rope with a small piece of metal at the end was around the mysterious person's neck A slight smile appeared on the persons face as Pyrrha and Mercury looked up in wonder, "Because I am his friend."

"Ah, Enkidu. It is good to see you again." Gilgamesh responded, "I trust your mission went well."

"It did," Enkidu responded, sitting down next to the King of Heroes, "However, Arjuna and Karna continued to bicker like always." A hopefully smile then formed on the androgynous person's face, "I do hope they put aside their differences eventually."

Pyrrha leaned over to Mercury to whisper in conversation, "Who is he?" the red-haired warrior asked, "And why does Gilgamesh have a different look in his eyes."

Mercury had a look of confusion as he turned to Pyrrha, "…are you sure it's a he?" he asked, "I mean, how can you tell?"

"Of course, he is a guy…I think." Pyrrha responded, "Why do you think it's a girl?"

"Well, I mean, she has a pretty face and green hair." Mercury responded, "Don't you agree?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't make her a girl." Pyrrha responded rapidly before glancing over at Enkidu, "I mean, she doesn't have-" The red-haired warrior was saying before her face turned red, turning back to Mercury, "Look, I just don't think he is a she."

"Screw it, I'll ask her," Mercury said with Pyrrha's eyes widen a bit in panic. The grey-haired assassin turned to Enkidu and Gilgamesh, "Hey, are you a-"

Suddenly, Enkidu interrupted him, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself." The androgynous person said, "I am Enkidu, leader of Team Strange at this Academy," A slight smile formed on Enkidu's face, "From the looks you were giving Gilgamesh. I take it you have to meet with him prior to this engagement."

"That is correct," Gilgamesh responded, looking over to the two students with a smirk, "I have had the pleasure of fighting both in combat. But, that pleasure differed between the two for various reason."

"Is that so," Enkidu responded, raising one eyebrow.

"She didn't answer my question," Mercury whispered back to Pyrrha.

Suddenly, the class heard a pair of footsteps entering the arena grounds. One was a man wearing a black outfit with a goldish lining. The roots of his hair were blond, but a few inches before the ends were green. He had a blond goatee and dark shades over his eyes. next to him was a man with long light grey hair. His outfit was also black, but his arms and legs were protected by a silver armor. His chest was fully exposed revealing an almost glowing insignia that marked even some of his face.

"Now then," The blond professor said as he scanned the class, "We have some new transfers here today." He then placed his hand over his heart before bowing, "I'm Vlad Tempest, the senior Professor of Lancers at this academy. He then gestured over to the man with light grey hair, "This is my colleague, Siegfried, the Senior professor of Sabers."

"They don't look that old," Jaune said to himself.

"Yeah, but they are some of the most experienced heroic spirits here." Jeanne responded before taking out her scroll, "Siegfried was one of this Academy's crowning graduates. This is what he looked like back then." His sister said as she showed Jaune the image of a boy with light brown hair and a black vest. He was holding a large, two-handed sword with a gold cross on it, "I have been to a lot of his classes, he is one of my favorite teachers here."

"Wow, that sword looks pretty cool." Jaune said, "Does it…do something special, or is it just a big sword?"

"Yes, of course." Mash responded before she had a look of confusion, "Does your sword not do anything?"

"I-ah, well, it…" Jaune said as before he noticed the professors talking again, "Oh, we should pay attention."

"Now then, this lesson with have to short one." Vlad said before looking over to Siegfried, "My colleague will have to leave on a town defense mission soon. So, we will have only time to run through one sparring match." He then looked back to the whole of the class, "After that, I will work personally with one of the new transfer students."

"For today, we will have a two against one fight." Siegfried continued the conversation, "You never know when you will be outnumbered in battle and you can't always escape." His stern expression glared at the group of students, "Now, do we have a volunteer for the solo fighter."

The arena went silent from stands as no sound was made from the stands. Suddenly, Enkidu's right hand went up. "I will fight at the disadvantage." The androgynous person spoke up, "But if it is not too much, I would like to fight these two new transfer students." Enkidu comment was accompanied by pointing down to Mercury and Pyrrha. The two had a look of confusion as Gilgamesh smirk with a chuckle.

"Are you attempting to one-up me?" Gilgamesh responded with a smile.

"I just want to see what made you want to take an interest in these two," Enkidu replied with the same smile.

"What is with these two?" Mercury whispered to himself before shrugging, "Well, she can't be as strong as that guy." He then looked over to Siegfried, "Fine, I'll fight."

"Mercury looks a little nervous fighting him." Pyrrha thought to herself as she looked at the grey-haired assassin, "It might help if I fight with him." Pyrrha then looked over to Siegfried also, "I accept as well."

"Very good, I expect great things, Pyrrha Nikos." Vlad answered as he smiled, "Let's see how your abilities as a Lancer help you against someone of the same class." He and Siegfried walked away into the stands on the opposite side of the class, "You have a minute to prepare before the match begins."

Pyrrha nodded before she and Mercury got up. As they walked to the arena, the red-haired warrior looked over to see Enkidu walking towards the opposite side alone, "So, he is a Lancer also. Why would the teacher say that it just gives him another disadvantage?" She thought before turning to Mercury, who was rolling his shoulders in a stretch, "So, what type of attack plan should we do?"

"How about this. You do your thing." Mercury responded, "I'll do mine and we don't get in each other's way."

"That's not necessarily a plan." Pyrrha replied, "I mean, I have a semblance of polarity and your legs are metal. I could-"

"Don't even," Mercury responded as he raised his hand in front of her face, "I just got these legs, and I don't want to lose them again."

"Okay…I understand." Pyrrha replied.

"No," Mercury responded, his voice more irritated than before, "You don't." his words caused Pyrrha to have a look of sorrow fill her expression as she looked at him put on a serious stance. "Now, let's get this over with." Pyrrha focused as she nodded, creating her spear and shield in her hands. Enkidu stood at the other end of the area with an innocent smile.

"Now, then!" Vlad declared, "Let the battle begin!"

Once the blond professor finished his sentence, Mercury rushed towards Enkidu. The androgynous person responded in kind as Pyrrha aimed her spear. She threw it over her temporary teammates head, using her polarity to guild the weapon back down towards her opponent.

Enkidu jumped straight up to avoid the spear, causing the weapon to embed into the ground on impact. Mercury jumped also to intercept his opponent, firing a blast of wind of his ankle gauntlets to gain altitude over Enkidu. The grey-haired assassin the repositioned his body, leaning forwards before shooting another wind blast from his ankle gauntlets. He lunged towards Enkidu, who now took up a defensive stance with arms crossed. Mercury unleashed a dived kick against his opponent's forearms, firing a third blast of wind dust, this time at close range.

The attack pushed Enkidu back to the ground but managed to land on one knee. While still focused on the two opponents in front, the androgynous person heard a rustling sound from behind. Enkidu glanced back to see the spear wiggle out of the ground and plunge towards its owner.

Enkidu dodged the spear as Pyrrha rushed in. she grabbed the weapon this her right hand before spinning her body. With the added momentum, she attempted to shield bash her opponent. However, Enkidu jumped back to avoid the hit as Mercury landed back on the ground next to the red-haired warrior. "So, you do use polarity." Enkidu said to Pyrrha before looking at Mercury, "And your legs are indeed false."

"They're prosthetic," Mercury corrected before he looked down at his legs, "Still, they do feel a bit different than any pair I have made before." He then shrugged before taking up a fighting stance, "I guess I'll thank Archer for the upgrade later."

"Okay then, I should start fighting seriously now," Enkidu said before kneeling back down, placing one hand on the dirt. The androgynous person's eyes closed as Mercury looked bewildered.

Pyrrha had a smiler expression to her temporary teammate, but that changed as she felt slight rubble, "Mercury! The attack is coming from the ground!" She said before jumping back. Suddenly, multiple spearheads attached to chains plunged out from the dirt.

"What?" Mercury said as he jumped back, one the weapons grazing his right leg and ripping his pants. The grey-haired assassin looked down to see at the shape edge of the weapon had dented his new leg. The chains vanished into a gold light as Enkidu's eyes opened, accompanied by a slight smile, "You little-" Mercury said with rage as he rushed towards his opponent.

Mercury attempted a right straight kick as Enkidu stood up. However, Enkidu ducked to the attack. The androgynous person rushed past him, putting the right hand back on the ground, and passed it over the dirt. Mercury looked at the ground to see a similar light to before. Suddenly, pillars of light erupted from the ground and struck him in the back. Mercury was sent into the air, wailing in pain from the assault. Enkidu looked up at him, moving the right hand off the ground and palm pointed at the grey-haired assassin. The golden light gathered in the palm before being fired towards Mercury. The blast flung him into the wall of the arena, bouncing off it before landing on the ground. Smoke radiated from his body as he coughed in agony.

"This seems to be an easy lesson." Enkidu said before turning towards Pyrrha, "Two against one is not as big of an advantage when the one is significantly stronger than both opponents combined."

Pyrrha then held her shield an in a defensive stance as Enkidu raised both hands. Upon the golden light gathering, Enkidu fired a barrage of the spear-tipped chains towards the red-haired warrior. Pyrrha focused on the approaching weapons, attempted to use her semblance. However, a second after the chains were covered in a black aura, that aura broke as chains continued with no loss in momentum. She held up her shield to block the attacks, causing the spearheads to bounce off as they pushed her backward.

"Why didn't her semblance work this time?" Jaune asked as she looked to his sister.

Before Jeanne could speak up, responded Gilgamesh, "Enkidu's chains are infused with a divine element that protects against other skills." The king of Heroes said with his arms crossed as he watched the fight, "Pyrrha Nikos will lose her second fight now." He smiled as the male Arc had a look of worry.

The chains continued to bounce off the shield as Enkidu fired more. Pyrrha held her footing for a second, but Enkidu smiled before speeding the arms apart. The red-haired warrior felt the impact of the chains but found herself imprisoned by chains covering the area around her. The androgynous person then placed both hands on the ground. Before she could react, more chains erupted from the ground an ensnared Pyrrha's body. The chains supposed her in the air, wrapping around her arms, legs, and torso. She attempted to use her semblance again, but nothing happened.

"Now, that seems to be the end of that." Enkidu said before looking up to Gilgamesh, "Why is it you had such trouble with her before." The androgynous person commented as Gilgamesh had a smirk on his face. However, his look turned to alarm, cause Enkidu to wonder why. Suddenly, Enkidu heard someone approaching from behind, looking back a moment too late to dodge.

Enkidu looked to see Mercury had gotten up and rushed from behind, delivering a spin kick with his left leg. His leg collided with the left side Enkidu's face, sending her flying into the arena wall. The walled cracked upon the body slamming into it and falling motionless on the ground. At the same time, the chain around Pyrrha faded, allowing her to land back on the ground, "Enkidu!" Gilgamesh shouted as he stood up, uncrossing his arms. He then glared over to Mercury, who had a smirk on his face.

"Well, looks like your little girlfriend couldn't handle a real man." Mercury called out to Gilgamesh, "Or is it your boyfriend, it's hard to tell?" The King of Heroes soon created multiple yellow vortexes over his body, each already emerging with a weapon. However, he looked over to see Vlad and Siegfried glaring at him. Mercury noticed the reason for the stopped attack and crossed his arms, "Looks like you can't touch me without greeting into some serious trouble now." The grey-haired assassin said, "You impressed now?"

"You impotent, miserable, mongr-" Gilgamesh was saying as his rage was seething. However, in the middle of his sentence, a spearheaded chain erupted from the ground to Mercury's right. The weapon crashed through both his prosthetic at the knees. The grey-haired assassin had a look of pure shock before falling on the ground, now unable to stand up. Gilgamesh had a look of confusion before looking over to were Enkidu was.

Enkidu was just getting up, the right hand placed on the ground with a golden aura of light around it. The left hand was placed on the face rubbing the wound formed from the kick, "That's why you found him so entertaining." Enkidu said as Mercury looked at his broken legs in anger, "That was somewhat satisfying."

"Are you kidding me with this!" Mercury shouted as he looked at the wreckage, "The third time!"

Gilgamesh smiled as he crossed his arms, the vortexes around him vanishing, "You had me worried there for a second, Enkidu." The King of Heroes said as the androgynous person looked up at him.

Enkidu then looked back to see Pyrrha trying to help up Mercury, "I would say I failed this lesson."

"What?" Pyrrha commented, "Why?"

"I forgot that my Noble Phantasm is really only effective against one enemy. It led to me losing my focus and even underestimating my foes." Enkidu said, now fully standing up, "In this position, I could win the fight easily. But this was over when I took a hit I should have been able to avoid."

"Then, why did you blow off my legs!?" Mercury shouted back, "I just got these!"

"Oh, because I am not Gilgamesh's girlfriend or boyfriend." Enkidu responded, "I am his friend. That is something that means a lot to both of us, more than the prior two titles do." Enkidu gazed then became somewhat enraged, but still smiling, "And I do not like those who taunt my friends."

"That marks the end of the match." Vlad said as he stood up, "A group will take Mercury Black to the infirmary wing. Pyrrha Nikos, you will stay for another lesson." Pyrrha nodded as she picked up Mercury, who gritted his teeth in anger. The blond professor then looked over to the other students, "The rest of you head to your next assigned class. You are dismissed now."

"I should get going then as well," Siegfried said as he stood up, followed by the rest of the class exciting. "It's only the second closest town from the academy, so I will make it there on foot."

"If that is what you want," Vlad commented as Siegfried, "You have been doing a lot of these defense missions in a row now. Remember to rest sometimes and help teach these new students to adjust."

"I will," Siegfried said as he walked out of sight of the blond professor.

Vlad then turned back to see Pyrrha carrying Mercury, meeting up with Jaune, his sister, and Mash. The red-haired warrior then passed Mercury over to her team leader as she looked over to the destroyed limbs, "You want me to go pick up the pieces?" She asked Mercury.

"No," Mercury responded in a defeated voice, "Just take me to the infirmary and I will call a guy to make a few more spares." They the group nodded as they were leaving with the red-haired warrior heading over to the professor.

Pyrrha looked back to see Enkidu talking with Gilgamesh walking away from the arena. The two were engaged in conversation, to which both were giggling. A small smile was on the face of the King of Heroes, this one was not of arrogance, but of relief. Pyrrha had a look of confusion over this expression of his truing away before either could notice her. She made it over to Vlad with a look of worry on her face, "You wanted to see me?" She said with the blond professor giving a slight smile.

 **AN: There you go, a few new characters here and there. Finally, get to show of Enkidu. I tend to define a lot of the ambiguous characters from fate, but I desired to keep Enkidu's gender unknown in the storytelling as much as possible, (I was going to go with a female, but I think this works a bit truer to the idea of the character). Gilgamesh was fun to show this range of emotions with his character, making him a bit more complex. Siegfried is also here, and I show the connection to Sieg in this continuity. He is not here for that long as he goes right to a mission. Then I have Vlad III, who is more like his Apocrypha design than his initial Grand Order one. He and Cu are a tie for me for best lancer servant. If you want to say your favorite lancer, I would love to hear it. I really do want to do more of the student-mentor relationship with Vlad and Pyrrha, but that will have to wait for a future chapter. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	23. Chapter 21 - Dojo Showdown

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and continued views for this story. I have a pretty long chapter here, one that does a lot of setup for the future chapters to come.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 21 – Dojo Showdown**

 _Cinder._

"He broke them again!?" Archer said to Cinder as the two walked down the hallway of the Einzbern mansion. Both were in their combat uniforms, each almost matching in shades of red. The silver-haired man crossed his arms, "I just made those."

"Mercury is starting to make this a bad habit now," Cinder said with a smirk, "I think you should either make his next pair stronger or make him a few spare sets,"

Archer sighed, "Fine, I'll stop to see him before we have our match." He then looked over to Cinder with a slight smile, "You know, this girl Ruby also has silver eyes."

"I already am aware of that," Cinder responded as she closed her eyes, "I have done my research on her already. She has no notable skill that could be associated with that legend, unlike you." She then opened them to look at her roommate, "Her eyes are just a genetic inheritance from her mother, not a characteristic acquired from reaching a new level of power."

"Is power all you think about?" Archer commented with a small laugh, "You should consider a hobby."

"I do have a hobby," Cinder replied with a smirk, "Sewing."

"Sewing?" Archer inquired. He then looked at Cinder's red dress, slightly smiling, "I see then, that is a good hobby."

Suddenly, Archer's expression changed to slight anger, causing him to stop walking. "What's wrong?" Cinder asked as she stopped soon after. She then followed his gaze down the hall, seeing Kiritsugu Emiya standing in their path while wearing a long black trench coat, "Oh, he must be your father." The black-haired archer said before a long silence fell between the three.

"Shirou," Kiritsugu said to break the silence, "Give me a second to take with Cinder Fall."

"We don't have time," Archer replied. However, Cinder raised her hand in front of him.

Cinder looked up to him with a slight smile, "Just give me a second, it won't take long. You can take the long way around and I will meet you in back." She said with Archer glaring at her for a second, buts she simply replied with a slight nod. The silver-haired man closed his eyes before walking in the opposite direction. After he was far enough away, Cinder turned back to the head of special operations, "Now then, what is it you wish to talk about." She said as she walked towards Kiritsugu, "I meet with your wife yesterday, she is a very nice person."

"Enough small talk," Kiritsugu commented, "What is your game here?"

"Game?" Cinder responded, "What do you mean?"

"I know you're smart enough to know what I mean. You already meet with someone of the Church, but I wanted to do a quick interrogation." Kiritsugu responded, the harshens in his tone caused Cinder to stop walking, "Now, if you're just trying to live out a little vacation here and learn some new skills at the academy. We don't have a problem." His gaze then narrowed as he put both hands in his pockets, "But if you take one step out of line. If your presences here cause lives to be lost-"

"What?" Cinder said as she crossed her arms, "You'll shoot me with that gun in your right pocket?" She said with Kiritsugu going silent now. After a few seconds, the head of special operations pulled out an old-style gun from his right pocket. The barrel was large, holding only one round to fire before needing to be reloaded, "What do you think that thing will do me?"

"For you," Kiritsugu said, giving the faintest hint of a smile, "It's your worst nightmare." His comment caused Cinder's smile to fade as she glared at him. For another few seconds, not a word was spoken between the two. Suddenly, the sound a scroll ringtone was heard from Kiritsugu's left pocket. He took it out and answered it, without breaking eye contact, "Hello….?" Cinder was unable to overhear the conversation, but she noticed Kiritsugu's eyes jet to his scroll, "That can't be…!" He said in disbelief before glaring back to Cinder, his right-hand tightening on the gun. Cinder glared back as she remained unfazed. Kiritsugu sighed before putting the gun back in his pocket, "…send me the quadrants to where he was found. I'll form a party for investigation before leaving…. Thanks." He said before closing his scroll, putting it back in his left pocket. "I have to go now." He said before turning and started walking away, "Remember this conversation, Cinder Fall. I will have a close eye on you."

"Next time, I do hope for a longer chat between you and me." Cinder responded before turning around and walking the other direction. After the black-haired archer turned the first corner, she stopped and placed her right hand on the wall. She placed her left hand on her chest, feeling her heart racing as her face filled with sweat, "Damn it, that man," She said with heavy breaths, "Why did I feel like I was going to die just then. Knows who I am, but he didn't hesitate at all." Cinder said before moving her right hand away from the wall, looking at her palm, "Why am I shaking so much?"

 _Ruby._

In the courtyard, Ruby and Astolfo sat across Weiss and Maria. Each had a cup of tea, expect Ruby, who had a coffee was dropping a few sugar cubes in hers. In the middle of the table was a bowl of cherries, of which Astolfo was picking and eating. Both the svelte paladin and the silver-eyed girl was in their combat gear, each cape placed over the back of the chairs, "So, you met someone on your way back from the town who has an unbelievable weapons-based ability. Now, you're going to fight him and another one of the students who came with us? One of the one form the other school?" Weiss asked her team leader.

"Yep," Ruby said as started to stir her beverage, "You know where the cream is?" Weiss sighed before she pointed to the small bottle of the cream on the table next to the bowl, "Thanks." The silver eyed girl then picked it up, pouring and unhealthy amount into her drink.

"You know, Archer is a very strong student here. And I don't even know what his partner is like," Maria said in a somewhat concerned voice as Astolfo gabbed another cherry, "Don't you two think you should make up a plan beforehand?"

"Nah," Astolfo said before putting the cherry, stem included, in his mouth. He continued talking while eating, "We're just going to wing it." he then stopped talking to focus on chewing, swishing the cherry in his mouth, "We'll think of a plan on the spot." The svelte paladin the swallowed before reaching into his mouth, pulling out the cherry stem tied in a knot, "Would you look at that." Astolfo said with a smile.

"Oh cool," Ruby commented, "Yang can do that too. But, she doesn't want to teach me how for some reason."

"You'll know when you're older." Astolfo aside as he put the tied stem on the table, "Now Ruby, we should start heading to our big match." He said with Ruby nodding before chugging her coffee in one swig.

Just as the two started to get up, a female voice called out, "Hold it!" the four turned, discovering Nero with a look of rage, glaring over to the silver-eyed girl, "I finally found you, Ruby Rose." She said with malice her voice.

Ruby had a look of question, "Uhm…do I know you?"

"No," Nero said as she walked over to the four, "But I know everything I need to about you."

"Uhm…Okay?" Ruby commented.

"Hey Nero," Astolfo said in a cheery voice before turning to Ruby, "I just remembered, Nero can do the same rose thing you can do."

"Oh, I thought my mom and I were the only ones that could do that," Ruby responded before looking to Nero, "It's cool to meet someone who has that same skill."

"You don't understand," Nero said in a confident tone, "I want you to get rid of that skill. The Rule of the Rose is something only a person of noble blood can have."

Ruby tilted her head to the left, "Uhm…I thought I just made rose petals." She then reached into her pocket for her class card, "Is it really a good skill?"

"Umu," Nero said in a cute grunt as she nodded, "It is a skill so powerful, it can only materialize in the A Rank." She then placed her right hand on her chest, creating a small flurry of roses petals in her gesture, "That is the rank of my skill, what is yours? Not that it matters, because you will be losing it all too soon."

Ruby was only half paying attention as she pulled out her class card, looking at the back of it for her stats, "Mine says Rank EX. What does that mean?" Ruby asked the Emperor of Roses. However, Nero's expression was static. Her body seemed frozen and unmoving as if time had stopped only for her, "Uhm…Hello?" Ruby asked in concern as Weiss stood up.

The heiress extended her right hand, snapping her fingers in front of Nero's face. However, the Emperor of Roses had no reaction, remaining frozen, "Wow," Weiss said in an almost whisper before turning to her team leader, "Ruby, I think you mentally broke her."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Ruby said in worry, "…I still don't know what's going on."

Weiss sighed as she waved off Ruby, "It's fine. I'll take of it. You two go to your match." She said with Ruby still having a look of worry. Astolfo held onto Ruby, guiding her away as the two left the courtyard.

Weiss sighed again before looking to Maria, "Your leader sure is innocent." The idol queen commented with a slight giggle.

"You have no idea," Weiss said as she sat down, taking a sip of her tea. Nero remained frozen in shock at her sudden realization.

 _Atalanta._

A class had just commenced in a dojo-like section of the Chaldea Academy. A woman with light brown hair stood before her class. She wore a gi with a white upper half and a blue lower half. In her hands was a dummy sword made of straw pointed at the ground. To her right was a man with bright red hair tied in the back. He wore a red and black outfit, one that almost matched Ren's in design. The woman in the gi had an overconfident smile as she hit the wooden floor with the tip of her sword. The man was chuckling, but the sound was slightly different. "Looks like we have a few new students here, eh, Li."

"Kakaka," The man responded, his gaze becomes somewhat perceiving with his smile, "Yes, we do, Taiga. But how strong do you think they are?" he said looking at the class.

In her class were Yang and Blake, sitting next to their respective roommates for Chaldea. However, their outfits were changed. They each wore a white cotton tee shirt and blue sports shorts. No shoes were allowed in this dojo. Each of the girl's hair was tied in the back in a ponytail, "Do all of the teachers here care about fighting?" Yang asked Blake, who responded with a shrug. The blond berserker then looked down at her new outfit scratching her left shoulder, "And why are these two the only ones that have us wear this itchy gym uniform."

"I don't know," Blake responded before looking to Atalanta, "Do you know anything about these teachers?"

"They have a specific way of doing a class," The lioness faunus responded, "It's based on a style from another land. They seem to know what they're talking about, but they're both crazy."

"Okay...?" Yang said as she continued to scratch, "but why do we have to wear this stuff and not them." She said before looking behind herself to see four more students, some of whom were familiar. One was Okita, now wearing a short, white kimono-like outfit with a long black scarf. She wore black padding gear on her arms and legs. Next to her was Nobu in her normal outfit playing a game on her scroll. Next, her leader was Medusa, who was now in grey sweater and sweatpants. The symbol on her forehead was gone and she wore glasses over her eyes. Next to her was a girl with short white hair. She was the only one who wore the same outfit as them, but the girl also glared over at Blake. Her red eyes were full of hate. "And what with that one giving you the stink eye?"

"I have never met her?" the cat faunus responded as Atalanta sighed, "Do you know why?"

"That's Penthesilea," Atalanta responded as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I can speak from experience, she is mad at you for talking to Achilles."

"Achilles?" Yang responded before she smiled, "Oh, I get it now." She then patted Blake on the back, "Way to go. You're really taking advantage of this trip now, aren't you?" Her eyes then half closed as she looked at her teammate, "However, don't you think you're going to make a certain monkey man jealous." Her comment caused Nobu to look up for a second, she then shrugged before returning to her game.

"I have no idea what you are talking about…" Blake responded in a bewildered voice.

"Suuure you don't," Yang responded before winking, "Don't worry, I'll make sure little Miss Evil-eyes doesn't get in the way of your fun."

Taiga struck the floor again with her sword, "Now then, we have eight students here. Four from Team GUDA, two newbies, and their roomies." She said before pointing forward with the sword, "I propose a little team battle to test your fighting skills."

"…What does that mean?" Blake responded as Taiga struck the floor with her sword again.

"It will be for three rounds." Taiga responded, "The team that wins the most rounds wins."

Li then crossed his arms as he looked at the class, "The first round will be a test of archery. Then second, swordplay." His grin then grew more excited, "And finally, hand-to-hand combat. That round will be two against two."

"We will be the judges and take notes of your skills," Taiga said as she struck the ground one more time, "Impress us if you want a high grade."

"Kakaka," Li laughed, "Determine the order amongst yourselves."

On Team GUDA's side, Nobu giggled as she put her scroll away, "Well, I'll take Archery and win that round easily." The Grimm Archer said as she looked over to Okita, "You want to take swordplay, so we can get this over with fast?"

"Nobu, you think that highly of my swordsmanship now?" Okita said as her eyes widened in happiness.

"Well, if what I heard about Jeanne's brother are true," Nobu said as she smiled, "You no longer have the worst saber stats at the academy." Her comment caused Okita to have a look of pride in her eyes.

Medusa then looked over to Penthesilea, noticing her still looking over to Blake, "Why are you still mad that Achilles was talking with that girl?" The long-haired rider inquired.

"You know why," Penthesilea said before looking back to Medusa, "Every time he talks to a new woman, it is a taunt on me." The queen berserker gritted her teeth in anger, "He thinks that, just because he beat me one time, all women are weaker than him. That he can act so candidly around them, without showing true respect. That is why, I will make him pay," She then looked back to Blake, "But first, if he has shown interest in another person of the opposite sex, I will need to prove that I am stronger than her. That way, he will notice me and beg for a rematch." She then had a sinister smile on her face, "And then, I will destroy him as no other person has before."

Medusa had a look of fatigued as she looked at her combat partner, "…I think you may be exaggerating a few things. But we'll talk about that later."

On the opposite side of the dojo, the other four students planned their order for the competition, "Well, Blake and I can take the tag-team match." Yang said, still scratching her shoulder, "We have a lot of experience with that already back at Beacon"

"I can handle to swordplay easy enough," Mordred said before looking of over to Atalanta, "And you have archery in the bag. So, we should win this easy."

"Hang on," Atalanta responded before looking over to the cat faunus, "Blake, you take swordplay instead of Mordred."

"Why?" the prideful knight inquired with some anger in her voice, "Do you not trust my skills with a blade? I'm in the saber class for a good reason, you know!"

"Trust me, this will be a better order for us overall." The lioness faunus said before she turned to Taiga, "We're ready."

Nobu looked over to Li, "Us too. I'm up first." She said as looked over to Atalanta with a smug smile, "I think I should win this one in a cinch."

"Here you go," Li said as he tossed the Grimm Archer a wooden bow and a quiver of dummy arrows.

"Eh?" Nobu said as she fumbled in catching the items, "What are these for?"

"Archery." Taiga responded, "I forgot, Noble Phantasms are not allowed in this dojo." She then looked up with slight whimsy, "We will test your skills without rallying on those flashy weapons you're so used to."

"That's dumb!" Nobu replied, "I can make the weapon whenever I want, why do I need to learn to fight without it?"

Taiga then struck the wooden floor again, a look of fire in her eyes, "You fool! You cannot guarantee that!" The teachers commented sound like that of the roaring tiger, causing Nobu to back up in response, "You must learn to fight with the basics before you can say you have mastered your own Noble Phantasm."

"I don't see why you are so against the idea," Atalanta said to Nobu as she accepted her bow and arrows from Li. She turned to the Grimm Archer with her eyes half open and a slight smile, "Maybe, it's that you're an Archer class that doesn't know I to use a bow and arrow."

"I do so know how!" Nobu defended, but her voice then went low as she tried to hide her next sentence, "But I haven't used one since I found out rifles are a lot more effective." She then looked over to Li, "So, what now? Is there some sort of target we have to shoot?"

"Kakaka," Li laughed, "Yes, each other."

"Eh?" Nobu responded, a line of sweat formed on her brow.

"The normal targets are in for repairs, so we have to make do without." The man with the odd laugh responded as he walked to one wall, his hands behind his back, "You will take your stances on opposite ends of the dojo and take aim. The first one to hit other wins."

"Now, let's see who draws first," Taiga said, striking the ground again with her sword in the middle of her thought, "and who draws last…. Also, don't aim for the eyes for safety reasons."

Nobu growled in anger as she took her position, looking over to see Atalanta moving with a stoic expression in contrast, "She thinks she has it all won now, doesn't she?" Nobu thought to herself as she tightened her right-hand grip on the bow, "Well, I'll show her not to underestimate the Grimm Archer."

"Take your positions and get ready for the quickdraw," Taiga said as the two arches had their arms down. One hand holding the bow, the other on the quiver of arrows. A silence fell over the dojo as everyone waited for the announcement. Suddenly, Taiga raised her sword and struck the wooden floor.

As quick as she could, Nobu let go of the quiver and grabbed a dummy arrow. She aimed while pulling back the string. Once she had felt she had pulled back far enough, the Grimm Archer released the arrow onto her opponent. However, Nobu failed to hold the arrow in the nocking point. The bowstring simply brushed against the arrow rather than propelled it, whipping her right arm in instead. Nobu's eye followed the arrow fall to the ground a no more than a foot in front of her. "Eh…" She said before a line of sweat ran down her face again. As soon as she looked up, her opponent's arrow had already been fired. The projectile collided with the Grimm Archer's hat, right in the center of the golden emblem. The hit knocked the hat off her head, causing her to fall back to the floor, dropping the bow also.

Atalanta still held her stance after just firing the arrow, slightly smiling before she lowered the bow in her left hand, "The first round goes to Atalanta," Li said before glaring over to Nobu, "You should work on your archery skills in the future instead of depending on those guns of yours."

"Whatever!" Nobu said angrily as she picked up her hat, "This class is dumb anyway." She said putting on the hat and walking back to her team. However, she stopped her herself and looked back to the man with the odd laugh, "And your uniforms suck, they're too itchy!"

"She does have a point," Yang said to herself, still scratching her shoulder. She stopped herself as Atlanta rejoined their group. "That was pretty cool right there."

"Thank you," Atalanta responded with a slight bow. She then looked over to her roommate, "Blake, your turn." She said with the cat faunus nodding.

 _Blake._

As Blake walked over to Li, Mordred had a look of bewilderment. Li passed the cat faunus and Okita a dummy sword each, the designs matching that of Taiga's weapon. "Oh, I get it now." The prideful knight said before looking over to Atalanta, "You knew that these tests would not be with our Noble Phantasms. Those aren't the types of swords I'm good with," Mordred then scratched the back of her head as she looked to the floor, "I'm sorry for my tone then."

"It's fine," Atalanta responded as Blake and Okita took their positions on opposite ends of the dojo. The cat faunus held the sword with both hands, but her right hand remained the dominant one on the handle as she held it with relaxed shoulders. Sakura Saber hands the dummy sword with both hands as well. However, she held the weapon where the handle was near the left side of her face and the blade was pointed somewhat downward. She also as a slight smile on her face as she closed her eyes. "However, I don't think Blake will have as easy a time as I did."

"Nah, she's got this," Yang commented confidently, "She knows how to use that type of weapon. Besides, this girl doesn't look that tough."

"Same rules as before," Taiga announced, "The first side to land a hit wins." She then hurriedly struck the ground with her sword again to signal the start of round two.

At that moment, Okita opened her eyes. However, the clam look from before was gone. Her smile vanished as her expression changed to one of pure focus. She swiftly rushed Blake, appearing in front of her almost before the cat faunus could react. Blake raised her arms in a defensive stance with her weapon as Okita made the first offensive play. The dummy swords colliding, but Sakura Saber did not leave it at one strike she continued to attack with her blade as Blake struggled to maintain her defense.

The cat faunus gritted her teeth as she began to back up. However, Okita hurried behind her opponent, attempting a backslash. Blake turned her head at the last second to see Okita's downward vertical slash. She spun around to block the strike, holding her sword horizontally. The two weapons collided again, this time with more force than before. Blake jumped back before her body would give way to the pressure from Okita, her breathing becoming slightly heavy already. Sakura Saber held her positions, returning to her stance at the beginning of the match.

"…What?" Yang said before turning to Atalanta, "She's almost as fast as Ruby is."

"Yes, Okita is an odd case." Atalanta said as she crossed her arms, "While her stats are low and she has a terrible Grimm kill count. She is one of the most dangerous people to fight in one-on-one close combat, even more, that some people in the berserker class.

"I met this girl yesterday and I never would have guessed she fights like that," Yang added on as she looked over to Okita. The eyes of Sakura Saber were still cold and focused, "But, Blake still has her semblance to use."

"Okita!" Penthesilea called, "Finish her off already!"

"Very well," Okita responded, her voice almost devoid of emotion. Blake then held her sword in a defensive stance as Sakura Saber jumped forward, "One silent step," Okita said before she hit the floor, creating a small ripple of wind around her body, "Two steps infinite," she said before Blake got ready for the attack. However, the cat faunus had a look of confusion as Okita vanished into thin air. She quickly scanned the area for her, but couldn't find anyone, "Three steps, a sword absolute," Blake's head come from right in front of her. She looked to see Okita reappear in the air, her weapon poised and reeled back in her left hand, "Three Stage Thrust!" Sakura Saber shouted just attacking.

Blake tried to raise her weapon to block, but Okita was already behind her, pointing her blade to the wall. Her dummy sword was warped and broken, leading to Blake wounding what happened. Suddenly, the cat faunus felt a rush of pain in her chest. She dropped her sword and fell to her knees, wheezing in agony as she held her chest.

"Blake!" Yang called as she ran over to her teammate, kneeling to help her up, "Are you okay?"

"…. I'm …. fine," Blake responded, breathing heavily before each word. She then cleared her through before talking normally, but her face was still sweating, "That was impossible to dodge. I couldn't even activate my semblance in time. It was like she hit me three times at the exited same moment."

"This round goes to Team Guda," Taiga announced, "The winner is Okita Souji."

"I won." Okita said in wonder as her eyes began to light up, "Hooray, a victory for Okita!" she said as she began to jump with joy, "I'm so happy I could-Cough!?" Suddenly, Sakura Saber coughs up a large amount of blood onto the floor. Blake and Yang had a look of panic as Okita's stance became trembling.

"Yikes!" Yang responded, shocked at the amount of blood, "Are you okay?"

"I'm f-fine," Okita said as she held her stomach with both arms, blood still in the corner of her mouth, "It's one of my skills, no need to be alarmed." She then wiped her mouth clean with the with her right hand, "However, due to its poor timing, I can't go on many Grimm extinction missions." She then placed her right hand on her forehead before looking to Li, "Professor, is it okay if I go to the infirmary?"

"Very well," LI said with a nod. He then looked over to Team GUDA, "Oda will take you."

"Eh?" Nobu commented, revealing that she was looking down at her scroll the whole time, "Did I miss something?"

"Were you not paying attention to my whole match!?" Okita commented as her voice filled with anger.

"Sorry," Nobu responded candidly with a blank expression, "I tuned out after I lost my match."

"Nobu…" Okita said as she was filling with more rage, "Some days, you make me want to-Cough!?" she said before vomiting blood on the floor again.

"It's okay, I'll take her," Blake said as she raised her hand.

"Okay then," Taiga commented, "While that's going on, we'll move onto the final round for today. And this one needs a knockout to win."

 _Yang._

Yang watched as Blake helped Okita out of the dojo. She then looked over to Mordred, rolling her shoulders in a stretch, "You ready, we worked pretty well together the last time." The blond berserker commented.

"Yeah," Mordred said with a smile, "Let's keep that up."

Atalanta then walked over to the two, "Be careful," The lioness faunus advised, "Despite being a rider, Medusa is a more physically strong than she appears." She then looked over to Yang specifically, "and Penthesilea is a berserker, like you."

"Thanks," Yang commented with Mordred nodding, "but we'll take it from here."

The two then took their position, side-by-side, as they faced off against Medusa and Penthesilea. "Get ready," Taiga said as she raised her sword slightly off the floor, "Fight!" She shouted before striking the floor.

Yang rushed immediately for Penthesilea; the queen berserker responded in kind. The two collided in the center of the dojo, their hands locked as one tried to push the other back, "Hey, this may be an awkward time to ask," Yang said as she felt the heels of her feet into the floor, "Can you stop glaring at my friend, it's creeping her out."

"I don't care how she feels," Penthesilea responded, "I only care if she is strong. But if Okita beat her, she is nothing to me." She then changed her grip on her right hand, grabbing Yang's left waist. The queen berserker pivoted her body throwing Yang over her body. The blond berserker landed on her stomach, stunned her a second. She looked up to see Penthesilea raise her right leg a couple of feet before plunged it towards her foe. Yang rolled out of the way just, causing the queen berserker's foot to embed in the floor. As Yang got up, Penthesilea pulled her foot out of the hole, "You, however, have a little fighting spirit."

"I have a lot more than a little," Yang responded as she raised her arms in a fighting stance.

Not too far away, Mordred fought against Medusa. The prideful knight swung her arms to try and hit her opponent, but the long-haired rider dodged each one easily, "And I thought you didn't have any form when you were fighting with your sword. But you're even more uncoordinated without it." Medusa said as she evaded all her opponent's hits.

"Shut up!" Mordred yelled as she tried to land a heavy right punch. However, Medusa sidestepped to the right. She then grabbed Mordred's right arm, springing it behind her back in a pin. The prideful knight fell to her knees, her face to the floor, gritting her teeth for the pain of her arm.

"You're done now," Medusa said with a slight smile, twisting the prideful knight's arm a little bit.

Mordred screamed in pain, catching the attention of Yang. The blond berserker tried to run off to her teammate. However, she stopped dead in her tracks, her head arched back. Yang glanced back to see Penthesilea, grinning, as she held onto her hair, "What are you-" Yang said before Penthesilea pulled on her hair, slamming the blond berserker into a wall.

While Yang was still stunned, Penthesilea delivered four punches to her opponent's abdomen. Yang coughed in pain before closing her eyes. She fell against the wall unto the floor as Penthesilea looked down on her, "I guess I was wrong about you." The queen berserker said before turning away from Yang. she then looked at her own right hand, see that a few strands of her opponent hair had gotten stuck between her fingers. She patted then off before looking over to Medusa, "We have already one, just knock her out already."

"I'm trying," Medusa said with a look of confusion as she continued to twist Mordred's arm, "Most people would have passed out form this much pain."

Suddenly, Mordred gave a slight smiled. She quickly thrust her body down, the force dislocating her right arm. The prideful knight screamed in pain as Medusa was in stun for the turn of events. At that moment, Mordred slipped her right arm out of opponents grasp. Before Medusa could take a defensive stance, the prideful knight unleashed a left uppercut to the long-haired rider's chin. Medusa was lifted a few inches into the air before landing on her back, her eyes spinning.

"That's one knockout," Taiga commented, "You better pick up the pace, class is almost over."

"It's about to end now," Penthesilea said as she looked at Mordred wheezing as she held her limp right arm, "You can't hope to beat me with one arm."

"Well," Mordred said with a slight giggle, "Good thing I'm not fighting you."

Her comment caused Penthesilea to have a look of confusion. Suddenly, she turned around to discover Yang was back up, her eyes red and right arm already reeled back. The blond berserker delivered a straight cross to her opponent's face. Penthesilea had to take a step back from the hit, holding her nose with her right hand as she looked to Yang, "That's for pulling my hair!" Yang shouted before she rushed Penthesilea again.

Penthesilea gritted her teeth as she lowered her hand, revealing her nose was bleeding from the left nostril. She rushed towards her opponent, unleashing another gut punch with her right arm. Yang gasped before she recovered, punching Penthesilea in the left side of her head. The queen berserker staggered a bit before regaining her stance, glaring at Yang with red eyes. She tightened her left fist before connecting with an uppercut to the blond berserker's lower jaw.

Yang head arced back from the impact as blood splattered on the ceiling. Penthesilea looked on as her opponent growled like a beast. The blond berserker then thrust her head forward, colliding it with the bridge of Penthesilea nose. The queen berserker took another step back from the impact, her right nostril now leaking blood.

Yang and Penthesilea both scowled toward each other, their red eyes burning with anger towards the foe in front of them. Suddenly, they screamed at the same time, each reeling back their right arm, and unleashed a powerful cross. Each hit connected with the opponent's face at the same time, stopping the sound of their battles cry's. Both berserkers fell on their backs onto the floor, neither one conscience anymore.

"Double K.O!" Taiga announced, "And since, Mordred is the only one still stranded, her team wins."

"Kakaka," Li laughed, "That was a fine match, it reminded me of the days when I was in the berserker class." He smiled as he looked down to Yang and Penthesilea, "Truly, these two know what it means to fight."

"You mean, beat the crap of someone because they don't do what you say or pull your hair," Nobu commented as she walked over to the unconscious medusa, "I think that's why berserkers go berserker." The Grimm Archer then knelt to poke at Medusa's face, trying to wake her up.

After a few seconds, the long-haired rider woke up, "Wha-"

"You lost," Nobu said before standing up and looking over to Penthesilea, still unconscious, "She lost," She then looked back down to Medusa, "We all lost."

"My apologies," Medusa said as she pulled herself up, glancing over to see Atalanta holding Mordred's right arm, "I underestimated her. I didn't think she would break her own arm to get out of a grapple." She said before the lioness faunus slung Mordred's arm back in its socket. The prideful knight whaled in pain, her breathing heavy. After a few seconds, she looked her right arm moving somewhat normally now, "I was wrong of me to assume little from the Son of the King of Knights."

"Yeah," Nobu said as she crossed her arms, looking over to their still unconscious teammate, "Now then, I think you should carry her to our room. My guess is the infirmary will be pretty full today."

"You're right," Medusa said as she walked over to pick up the queen berserker, "Besides, she could use some rest now."

Atalanta and Mordred walked over to see Yang, still unresponsive on the floor. "She got that mad over a few pulled strands of hair," Mordred said as had a look of confusion.

"Someone like you, who does not take proper care of their hair, would never understand," Atalanta said in a deadpan voice. However, a slight smile came to her face, "You should ask her for some advice in that regard, maybe then people will actually think you're a wom-."

"Don't finish that sentence," Mordred interrupted, glaring at the lioness faunus, "Unless you want to be the one with a broken arm."

"Only teasing," Atalanta responded before she and Mordred knelt to carry Yang together, "Come on, let's take her to the infirmary together."

"Don't forget!" Taiga announced as the class was leaving, "The dojo is always open if you want to come back and train."

"Yes," Li added on, "The path to power is a long journey, but is one that will bear fruit at the end of its quest." He then started to break out into laughter, "kakakakaka!"

 **AN: There you go, a lot happened here. Kiritsugu meet with Cinder but had to leave on a sudden call. I wanted him to be a bit more emotional here, same with Cinder, so they appear a bit more complex. Nero also meet Ruby, but the encounter didn't really go as well as planned. In this context, Nero also has the same skill listed that I made up for Ruby, but at one rank level lower. Learning that, she froze due to her whole world getting shattered, which just makes me laugh. Then I got to introduce Taiga and Li, who I think work well together. Li is one of the only characters I write out the laugh for. And Taiga teaches in the dojo rather than an English class because, for the world of Remnant, English doesn't exist as a language. You know see all GUDA here, Penthesilea included. Since her eyes are red in the final ascension, I chose to make that the color for her character here. Bumbling Nobu vs Coolheaded Atalanta was fun to write and I know some people will be happy I showed Okita fighting skillfully. I really liked showing the brutality beat the two berserkers fighting, and Mordred gets a little time to shine here.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	24. Chapter 22 - Speaking Up

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and for checking out my story. It means the world to me that so many people like this story and that it has a Tv Tropes page. I know my grammar is poor, but I'm going to try and make strides to improve it for the future. Before I go into the big fight a lot of people are waiting for, I wanted to conclude the ark with the class on a fieldtrip. I really loved writing this chapter. It has a lot of emotional beats, tension, and has me doing some cleaver thing with character powers.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 22 – Speaking Up**

 _Fran._

Just pulling into the shore of a small island, Drake and her crew of students landed on to the new sandy beach. The female pioneer placed her hands on her hips as she stretched out her back. The large hat she wore before was left on her ship's wheel, "We made it," Drake said before yawning, "So, did everyone sleep well?" She said turning towards her class.

"Yeah, just fine." Robin Hood responded, "But where are we?" He said as he looked around the area. The island couldn't have been bigger than half a mile in diameter and was covered with large trees, "I didn't even know this island existed."

"Yep, that's because it was discovered just now." Drake responded, "I was looking for this place for a few years." She then turned back to the very dense forest, "This is where the ultimate hero of Apocrypha went." She then looked back to her class, seeing Ren and Emerald have a look of confusion, "Oh, I guess the new students wouldn't know." Drake then cleared her throat, "Long ago, back when towns and villages were being invaded by Grimm relentlessly. One man took up arms to fight back."

"Only one?" Ren commented, "I thought this kingdom had multiple people severing to defend against Grimm. The people called Heroic Spirits."

Drake had a slight giggle before continuing, "That's the thing, he was the first Heroic Spirit. The first person to fight rather than run away." She said before crossing her arms, "After he inspired others to fight as well, he went to the largest concentration of Grimm. The home of the largest, deadliest, most vile ones of the bunch." She then looked up to the sky, as if trying to remember something, "How many was it, eleven? No, Twelve! Twelve Grimm the size of this very island. He fought all and won."

"What?" Emerald said in disbelief, "That's impossible."

"Haven't you seen stranger things already," Drake responded, causing Emerald to go mute, "In any case, the legend says he fled to the sea after the battle. Leave the rest of the kingdom the defend itself and for other heroes to step up to take his place." She then gestured to the island, pointing at the sand, "An I believe this is the island he went to make his final resting place."

"So, why are we here then?" Robin Hood added on, "With how old the legend is, he should be long turning into dust and bones."

"Yes, but his weapon should still be here." The female pioneer responded, "It would be a very big discovery for Apocrypha, making us a lot of money in the process." She said with her Emerald looking at her with a confusion, "Don't worry, I always split the profits with my students." Drake then had a slight smile, "It's like I said, I want to teach you all how to live life to the fullest. And there's nothing more satisfying than discovering treasure." She then turned around to face the forest, pointing with her right hand, "Now, let's go!" She then started walking into the forest. The group had a silent expression before following.

As they walked through the foliage, Drake guided the group. Close to her were Neo and Jekyll, who wielded their bladed weapons, cutting the stray vines that blocked their path. Robin Hood had climbed one of the trees, jumping from branch to branch as he scanned the area. Ren walked close by to Kiyohime, helping her make it through the stray roots in the ground. However, he looked over to see Nora, her eyes red as she looked at the ground. Guiding her was Emerald, who had a melancholy expression towards the orange-haired berserker, "Are you okay?" He called out to his teammate.

"She probably just didn't sleep right," Kiyohime commented, "Just give her some space."

"Maybe you're right," Ren responded. Suddenly, he felt someone tapping on the back of his shoulder. Stopping by turning around, he saw Frankenstein, who was glaring at him, "Oh, Fran. Do you know what wrong with Nora?"

"Auu!" She said with anger, pointing at him, "Uua!" She then pointed to Kiyohime, causing the draconic Faunus to glare at the woman in the wedding dress.

"Uhh...?" Ren responded, "I don't understand."

"Auuu!" Frankenstein said pointing back at Ren, gritting her teeth. She the lowered her arm, taking a few breaths, "No…ra…" Fran spoke, causing Ren and Kiyohime's eyes to widen, "…Nora…likes…you…"

"Wha?" Ren replied, "I-"

Fran interrupted, "Nora…really…likes…you," She said before her breathing became heavy, "You…hurt…her." She said before glaring over to Kiyohime, who had a furious expression, "You…hurt…Nora."

"Ren," Kiyohime turned to him with a smile, "Let me talk to her alone, you go on ahead." She said before taking Fran to the right and pulling her behind one of the trees. Ren stood dumbfounded as he couldn't overhear then. He then walked away from the two berserkers, "What are you doing!?" She whispered to Fran, "Why are you trying to ruin my happiness?"

"You…ruined…Nora's." Fran responded, "She…cried."

"I don't care," Kiyohime responded, "She had her chance and wasted it. He gave him his heart and I gave him mine. I'm not letting go of him, never, not ever! My Ren would never lie to me." The draconic Faunus then looked to the ground, gritting her teeth, "Not like him, nothing like him, My Ren is different, My Ren won't leave me. Not like him, I hate him. Hate. Hate. Hate hate hate. HATE HATE HATE!" She shouted as she looked back up at Fran, "I won't lose someone I love again!"

Fran looked on as tears formed in Kiyohime's eyes, "…You…lost...someone…you…loved." She said before pointing to her own chest, "I…lost…someone…I…thought... loved…me," Fran responded, "Don't…let…Nora…feel…this…pain." She then lowered her arm, "Let…her…speak…to…Ren."

"I can't!" Kiyohime responded, "What if," her inhaled her breath as tears began to pour more, "What if he leaves." The image of a shadowy man filled Kiyohime's mind, she watched as the man walked away from her, vanishing into the distance. She tried to catch up to the man but discovered a destroyed town. The buildings set on fire as Grimm still flooded the area, the shadowy man was seen crushed by the support beams of a burning house, his hand cupping that of a woman's hand who lied dead next to him. Kiyohime then looked back to Fran, "What if he chooses her over me? I don't think I can take that again."

"That's…his…choice." Fran said as her breathing became heavy, "You…can't…force…him." In her head, she imagined herself many years younger, looking up at a shadowy man. Fran reached out for the man, but he stepped back in fear. She reached out again, her eyes watering, but the man backed up even more. The man began to speak, but no sound was heard. With the movement of the lips, the words freak, and monster were spoken. Fran reached out one more time, her face covered in tears, but the shadowy man ran away for her, disappearing into the darkness as Fran stood alone, "It…hurts…to…speak…how…you…feel." Fran said as she looked back to Kiyohime, "but…also…hurts…to…watch…someone…you…love…go…away." She said as her breathing became heavy and tried, "Please…let…Nora…speak."

Kiyohime had a look of sadness as she stared at Fran. She waited a few minutes before opening her mouth to speak, "I-"

Suddenly, the two heard Drake call in the distance, "Found it!" They turned back to the path they were on, running through the trees to catch up. After a few seconds of running, the two berserkers exited the forest and entered an oval shaped clearing. The ground was torn up dirt and large stones as tall as a person were scattered throughout the area, resembling a type of battlefield. Fran and Kiyohime walked to the rest of the class, seeing them gathered before the professor. Drake looked at what seems like a cleaver-like stone blade the size of her body. The edge of the blade was jagged with a black material, "Funny, the legend said it looked a little different." She said as she looked at the sword stuck in a large boulder.

"Maybe that's not it then?" Emerald commented, "What did the legend say it was like?"

"It said it was an ax-like blade longer than any normal man could hold. So, I think this is it." Drake said, having a disappointed look on her face, "I was expecting more gold decorating, or at least silver." She then turned back to her class, "Now then, who wants to help me pull it out?" Suddenly, the female pioneer had an idea, "Actually, we'll just blow the rock up." She then looked over to Nora, "Would you mind doing the honors." She asked but Nora was still looking at the ground, "Hello?"

"Uh," Nora responded as she looked up, "Oh, sorry, I heard you." She said before she created her grenade launcher in her hands. The rest of the class backed away as she aimed her weapon. She then fired, but the shell passed the target and collided with another small rock, "Sorry." Nora called out as Ren had a look of worry. Kiyohime looked at his saddened expression, then looked over to Nora's eyes still red from her tears from last night.

Nora aims again and fired, this time hitting the intended rock. The bladed weapon fell out of the rubble, laid flat on the ground, "Great job Nora," Drake commented, "Now, we need to carry it back." She looked at the class but saw no volunteer. However, she saw Robin Hood looking to the forest with confusion, "What is it?" She asked him.

"I thought I heard something." He responded before the group went silent. For a few seconds, they heard nothing. However, they soon heard a crackling noise in the distance. Robin Hood looked back to his professor for heading to the closest tree. He climbed to the top of the tree looking over to the whole forest. Upon scanning the area, he saw multiple trees falling down in a path towards the group, "Oh no." Robin Hood said before turning back to the rest of the class, "Hey, something's big is coming!"

"Big?" Emerald commented, "Like a Grimm?"

"▂▂▃▃▅▅ーーー!" The group heard an inhuman howl in the distance, coming from where Robin Hood was looking. They went silent for a second before Emerald turned to Drake.

"That doesn't sound like a Grimm I have ever heard," Drake said as she heard the falling tree sound get closer.

The image of a man, larger than any other man, approached. He was pushing over the trees as he walked into the light. His skin was a dark grey and his eyes were red with rage. The monstrous man wore ankle and wrist guards made of iron, as well as metallic kilt over his lower waist. His flowing long hair was brown, and his teeth were all fined shape. Steam came from his mouth as he breathed, "▃▃▅▅▃▃ー!" The person howled as the class was speechless.

 _Emerald._

"What is that thing!" Emerald spoke out in fear, causing the monstrous man to glare embedded.

The berserk creature roared again as he rushed the green-haired assassin, "▅▅ー!" He spoke as Emerald remained paralyzed in fear is as the creature ran towards her. The ground seemed to shake with each stomp by the monstrous man. As he raised his right arm over his head, swinging it down towards Emerald.

At the last second, Drake pushed Emerald and herself out of the way of the strike. The monstrous man's fist imbedded in the ground, leaving a large dent in the soil as the island shook more. Drake and Emerald fell to the ground a few feet away. Drake held onto the green-haired assassin with her left hand while she aimed at the berserk creature with the right hand, creating her pistol. She fired three shots into the creature's face, but nothing left a scar, "What?" Drake said as the monstrous man turned to her, growling in anger.

"AAU!" Frankenstein yelled as she swung her mace into the creature's back. The impact created a small burst of electricity, but it didn't harm the monstrous man. He turned to the woman in the wedding dress and tighter his right fist. Frankenstein attempted to block with her weapon, but the punch still flung her across the field. She dropped her mace a few feet before colliding with a large stone, crashing through it before skidding to a halt on the ground.

"Fran!" Nora called out before glaring at the monstrous man. She then fired two shells form her grenade launcher, both hitting him in the center of his chest. But once the smoke cleared, Nora's opponent was unharmed, "How?" Nora commented as her hands began to shake.

"Nora, get down!" Ren called as he created his weapon, firing multiple shots at the creature.

The monstrous man turned to Ren with his eyes glowing red, "▃▃▅▅!" He howled before running over to his new target.

Ren ran away as he continued to fire at the monstrous man. However, he was taken gasp at the creature's speed, quickly catching up to him. Ren looked up in horror as the monstrous man raised his left arm. At the last moment, Ren jumped the punch, but it still grazed his right arm, prompting him to drop his weapon in that hand. He continued to fire at the berserk creature's face until his one weapons ran empty.

He then ducked behind a rock as the monstrous man lost sight of him. Suddenly, a crossbow bolt embedded in the monstrous man's neck, glowing with a magenta color. The monstrous man looked to the trees for someone, but Robin Hood hid behind the trunk with sweat pouring down his face. The monstrous man pulled out the arrow as crushed it in his hands. He scanned the area for the others but saw no one. "▂▂▂▂▃▃▃▃▅▅." He howled before walking around the area, heading towards the center.

Hidden behind a select rock were members of the class. Drake and Emerald behind one, while Neo and Jekyll crouched near another. Nora held onto Frankenstein, who was groaning in pain. Ren held his right arm, blood going down to his right fingertips. He looked over his rock to see Kiyohime nearby with a scared look on her face towards him. The monstrous man walked over to the ax-blade, picking it up with his right hand, and turned to one of the nearby rocks. He struck it with his weapon, crushing the stones into pebbles. He then looked over to the next nearest rock and struck it with his ax-blade.

"What are we going to do? It's looking for us." Emerald whispered to her professor, "We can't fight that thing? It's immune to everything we try to damage it."

"Yeah, I know," Drake whispered back as she looked over the rock, seeing the monster destroying another rock with nobody behind it, "But I think I know who it is we pissed off."

"Who?" Emerald said slightly louder, "You don't mean-"

Drake then covered Emerald mouth right as the monstrous man turned to their location. After a few seconds, he resumed crushing the rocks near him again. Drake looked back to Emerald, "That's him, the first heroic spirit, Heracles."

"▅▅▅■■■■!" Heracles howled to the sky before destroying another rock.

"Now, why he is still alive? I don't know." Drake added on, "All I know is we can't fight him. We have to get back to the ship without him noticing any of us." She then lowered her hand from Emerald's mouth, "Any suggestions?"

"Well, making a run for it would be suicide." The green-haired assassin said as she glanced over to Frankenstein and Nora. Then looked over to Ren holding his arm, "And a few of us are injured." She then looked over to see Robin Hood in the tree, looking over to them, "At least he is out of danger." Emerald said with a smile, "But, how do we get eight people past that thing." Emerald then looked over the rocks seeing Neo, trying to wave at the green-haired assassin. Emerald focused her gaze, seeing the pintsized girl was holding her scroll, "I get it." Emerald said as she took out her scroll. Turning off the sound completely, she got a text message from Neo, "We may not be able to get help to come here quickly, but I can communicate with her even at this distance."

"Smart," Drake commented, "What did she say?"

"Use semblance to hide self from the monster." Emerald read aloud, "Get others out before he finds them." Emerald then looked back to Neo's location, "If it does not work, I will save you as others run." Emerald then had a line of sweat come down her face, "I know what she means, she wants me to use my semblance to make that thing think I don't exist, to make him not see me."

"You can do that?" Drake said as she saw Emerald's eyes quiver, "I think the better question is, do you want to do that?"

"I mean, I don't know if my semblance will work on him," Emerald responded tears forming in her eyes as she heard another boulder getting crushed, "If it doesn't work and Neo doesn't act quickly."

Suddenly, Drake grabbed onto Emerald, hugging her close to her body, "It's okay, we'll find another way. You don't have to prove anything." the female pioneer said before Emerald looked back up at Robin Hood, a look of worry in his eyes.

"No, it's the only plan we got." Emerald said as she pushed away Drake, "If we wait any longer, we're all dead." She then turned over to Ren's location, "He's the nearest and is injured. I'll take him to Robin first." She said before clearing her eyes.

"Emerald," Drake responded, "Are you sure about this?" Emerald turned back with a single nod, causing Drake to give a confident smile as she nodded back, "Okay, we all are counting on you."

Emerald looked over to Heracles, focusing on him as he crushed another stone. Suddenly, a metallic sound was made, causing him to stop what he was doing and examined the area. Emerald had a line of sweat form on her face before she started to walk out from the cover of the rock. Slowly, she made her way towards Ren, doing her best not to make a sound. Suddenly, Heracles looked in her general direction, causing Emerald to freeze up. Her heart raced as she held her breath. In the berserk creature's mind, he saw what looked like a blurry image were the green-haired assassin stood, "▂▂▃▃▂▂." He groaned before turning back to a nearby rock.

Emerald breathed out slowly to not make any noise. She resumed walking to make it over to Ren's location, her breathing heavy, "Come on, we need to get you out of here." She said as she pulled Ren's left arm over her shoulders.

"Thank you," Ren said as Emerald refocused on Heracles, another metallic sound was heard. This time, the monstrous man scanned the area more angrily than before, flaring his teeth as steam poured out. Emerald's vison was blurry as her nose started to bleed, "You shouldn't push yourself."

"I have to, this thing isn't that easy to trick." Emerald said as she helped Ren up, "It's like he doesn't only resist physical damage, but also mental." The two walked towards the forest edge as Heracles continued to thrash one the rocks.

Suddenly, he looked over to their location, seeing seconds blur moving in the distance, "▅▅▅■■■■!" He yelled before walking over to towards them.

Emerald glanced back with eyes widening in horror, "Crap, he sees us!" She whispered in panic.

"Stay calm, I think I know what to do," Ren responded as he closed his eyes. Suddenly, Heracles stopped. Where he saw the blur from before was now gone. He tiled his head before looking at the closet rock, striking it with his weapon, Emerald felt relieved before looking to Ren, "Your semblance can alter perception. Mine can hide negative emotions." He said before to the two would reach the trees, "Combining them, it would fool that monster into thinking nothing was there." He said before they entered the forest.

Robin Hood had dropped down from the tree and ran over to the two. Both sat hidden in the bushes as they wheezed in exhaustion, "You two are safe now." Robin Hood commented before looking over to Emerald, "That was really brave of you."

"Thanks," Emerald said with a weak smile, "But we have to get the others out." She looked over the bushes, but her eyes widened in fear. Heracles just destroyed one rock, then next one on his gaze was the one Drake was behind, "Oh no, he must have ended up closer to her after moving towards us."

"What do we do?" Robin responded as Emerald tried to focus on Heracles, but she held her head in pain. Drake readied both of her pistols as took a deep breath. The berserk creature raised his weapon in the air, ready to swing downward.

Suddenly, knife cut through the air and hit the back Heracles right hand, "▂▂▃▃▅▅ーーー!" the monstrous man said as he turned directly around, never seeing Drake. He glared over at Jekyll and Neo standing out of cover. Both had a smirk before bowing towards him, "▅▅!" Heracles yelled before running over to the two, but they made no attempt to flee. The berserk creature jumped into the air, raising the ax-blade over his head, and swung it downwards towards the two. On impact, the Neo and Jekyll that stood there broke into glass shards. Heracles had a look of confusion before gritting his teeth, "▂▃▃▅▅!" He howled towards the sky.

Emerald looked over to see Neo and Jekyll in the forest's edge across from them. The green-haired assassin smiled as she saw the two hug each other, "Well, they may both be crazy. But they are resourceful."

"I'll say," A voice called out to Emerald, Ren, and Robin Hood. They turned to see Drake was the one, joining them in the forest, "They not only saved me but gave me a window to run for safety." Drake then looked at the location of Nora and Frankenstein, "But those two couldn't take the chance, what with one of them injured." She then looked over to Kiyohime's location, "I wonder if she got-" Drake's eyes turned to panic as she saw a blue flare radiating around Kiyohime's body, "Oh no, she's not going to-"

"You hurt my Ren," Kiyohime said as she glared over at Heracles, who had his back turned away in searching, "I will never forgive you!" She declared as she body became fully engulfed in flames, "Now, you will burn to death!" She screamed before her body transformed into the serpent-dragon, roaring as it headed towards Heracles.

Heracles turned to see the fiery beast approaching. It swirled around him, creating a tornado of a blue fire. "▂▂▃▃▃▃▂▂..." The monstrous man said as thrashed in the fire, his skin starting to chare. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and stopped moving. In an instant, he reached out with his left arm and grabbed the serpent dragons neck. The serpent dragon gasped for air as the fire around it faded, Heracles tightened his grip. Suddenly, the dragon's body went limp before turning back into flames, but only for a second. Reappearing was Kiyohime, who barely could breathe. She could only twitch her fingers as Heracles glared at her, choking her by the neck.

"Kiyohime!" Ren shouted as he tried to get up to run out of the forest, but Robin Hood stopped him, "Let go of me!"

"If you run in now you'll both die," Robin Hood responded, "She choose to attack him when we all knew it was a bad idea."

"We can't watch her die!" Ren shouted back as he tried to break free.

Suddenly, a shell from a grenade launcher hit Heracles' left arm, causing him to drop Kiyohime. She fell to the ground, gasping for air before looking over to see what happen. She then looked over to see Nora standing out of cover, smoke still emitting off her the barrel of her weapon.

 _Nora._

"Boop," Nora said with a confident smile before giggling.

"▃▃▅!" Heracles yelled before running towards her, readying her blade for a horizontal slash. Nora quickly changed her weapon into its large hammer for, swing it down on the ground to create an explosion. The explosion launched herself over Heracles, dodging his slash, and landed right behind him.

"Come and get me, Big guy." She said before running away. Hercules gritted his teeth before running after her.

"What does she think she is doing!?" Emerald commented, "She can't beat that thing!"

"I don't think she is trying to." Drake responded, noticing Nora and Heracles far away form Kiyohime and Frankenstein, "She is being a distraction for us to get the others." Drake said before jumping over the bushes, "Come on, we need to hurry!" The female pioneer called out as the others follow.

Drake, Ren, and Robin Hood ran to Kiyohime, "I'll help Frankenstein." Emerald called as she ran over to her location. However, once she looked over the rock, the woman in the wedding dress was not there.

Nora continued to keep Heracles' attention, but her breathing became weary as she was already getting exhausted. She attempted a downward swing on her opponent, but the monstrous man caught the hammer with his left hand, his palm gains the face of the hammer. He attempted to make another horizontal slash, but Nora fired a close-range blast from the hammer. However, the blast was too close. Her hammer's head exploded into pieces, the shockwave pushing her back to avoid the slash. Nora landed on her back, breathing in pain as she tried to get up, but knew she was too tired. She looked over a Heracles in the smoke cloud, walking out of it with no damage to his body. Nora gritted her teeth before looking over to were Ren and the others were. She saw him carrying Kiyohime into the forest, out of the battle. Suddenly, a small smile came to Nora's face, "Huh, it worked." She said before she looked up at Heracles, raising his ax-blade for a vertical slash, "Sorry everyone, this is goodbye," Nora closed her eyes as she waited for her fate to be determined.

However, after a few second, nothing happened. Nora reopened her eyes to look up in confusion, but it soon changed to panic. Heracles thrashed as Frankenstein latched onto his back, her arms coiled around his neck as she gritted her teeth. Suddenly, the monstrous man bit down on Frankenstein's left arm, crunching the bones as blood poured into his gums. Fran closed her right eye in pain before turning to Nora, "Run!" Fran shouted as tried to hold on. Suddenly, the mace she had was pulled near its owner. It hovered over Fran's head, opened, and was emitting a green electricity as its spin.

"Fran No, you can't," Nora said as Emerald ran over to her. She quickly picked up the orange-haired berserker, and ran the opposite direction, "What are you doing!?"

"Saving your life," Emerald responded as Nora looked at her, seeing tears in the green-haired assassin's eyes, "Don't let her do this in vain." She said as they ran into the forest.

The green electricity started to form a vertical pillar, the trails of lightning exiting out like branches going in every direction. Heracles tried to scream again but was not heard through the sound of all the sparking, "I'm taking…you…with me!" Fran shouted as the lighting sparked more violently, "Blasted Tree!" With that, the pillar of electricity covered the two completely. The branches of lightning covered the sky over the island, remaining a few seconds before disappearing into particles of light that showered over the area.

In the distance, Nora struggled out of Emerald's grip, running out of the forest. She was taken gasp at the carnage. The ground was charred from the electricity, not a single rock was remaining. Nora looked near the center of the blast point, seeing a large hunk of meat in the shape of Heracles. The body burnt to near ash and the eyes a void black. Not too far from that was Fran's body. Her dress was mostly burned, and the metal attached to her head with warped and broken, "Fran!" Nora shouted as she ran over to her body. Picking it up, she looked at Fran's eyes, void of all life, "No no no." Nora said as tears form in her eyes.

Emerald walked over Nora, placing her right hand on the orange-haired berserker's left shoulder, "I'm sorry Nora," Emerald said as she looked down at Fran, "She really cared about you, about everyone."

"She can't die like this, there has to be a way." Nora said as she looked at Fran's body, "There has to be a-" Suddenly, she looked a small spark come from her broken horn, giving Nora an idea, "This has to work." Nora said as she laid Fran on the ground. The orange-haired berserker placed both hands on Fran's chest, creating sparks of white electricity.

"What are you doing?" Emerald asked.

"I'm bringing her back!" Nora declared as the electricity sparked more violently, "It's okay Fran, take all the electricity I can make." The rest of the group walked over as Fran's body glowed with a white light. Suddenly, the glowing stopped as Nora was breathing was heavy. Her hands trembled as she looked down at Fran. The others gathered around and looked to see if her condition changed.

Suddenly, Fran moved her head slightly, "….au?" She said as life returned to her eyes. Nora smiled with glee as she cried tears of joy, hugging Fran, "No...ra." Fran said as she placed her right arm on her roommates back.

"It's okay Fran," Nora said as she continued to hug her friend, "You don't have to say a word. I'm just glad you're alive." Emerald knelt to hug Nora, tears of joy in her eyes also. Robin Hood smiled as he whipped a single tear away. Nora and Jekyll smiled on as they looked down at the group, each holding the others hand. Ren let Kiyohime lean on him as they smiled, the draconic Faunus crying with joy as well.

Drake laughed in happiness as she patted Nora on the back, "You did good kid." She then turned to the whole class, "All of you did. This not exactly how I wanted to the mission to go, but that's what makes life so enjoyable. Expecting the unexpected."

"Yeah well, I just want to head back now," Emerald said as she stood back up. She then looked over to the burnt hunk of meat, "I'm also glad that think is dead."

Suddenly, the black void in eyes of Heracles corpse glowed red. Emerald's eyes widened in fear, along with the rest of the class. Neo's eyes turned white as the corpse began to expand, slowly reforming the muscle of the body, "You have got to be kidding me?" Robin Hood commented, "It can revive!"

"We must run for the ship. Now!" Drake ordered as Emerald and Nora helped up Fran. Robin went to Ren to help him run. While Neo and Jekyll helped Kiyohime along. As the group ran, Drake looked back to see the Heracles was almost fully reformed, starting to stand up, "I have to slow him down somehow." Suddenly, a light went off in Drake's head as she smiled, she then stopped running and raised her right arm.

Emerald looked back to see a shadow over the sky. She looked up in shock to Drake had summoned her large ship in the middle of the sky. The vessel plummeted to the island, landing directly on Heracles' still forming body. Drake gave a single laugh before resuming her running with the group, "You dropped our boat on him!?" Emerald responded in shock, "How are we supposed to get off this island!?"

"Don't worry," Drake responded, "I have spares."

Just as the group reached the shoreline they heard a call form back in the center of the forest, "▂▂▃▃▅▅-▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■■ーー!" Heracles howled as Drake called the ship for her students to board. They quickly got on the ship and pulled away from the island.

"Hang on a second," Drake said as she walked over to the bow of her ship, "I need to teach this guy not to mess with my class like that," She then created her pistol in her right hand. However, that was not all Drake had called. She summoned more of her large ships, creating a fleet at her disposal. Her class looked on in awe as she aimed her pistol at the island, causing all ship's bows to point to the same target, each armed with a gigantic cannon, "Remember my name! The woman who brought down the sun!" She said before pulling back the pin to her weapon, "Golden Wild Hunt!" Drake fired a shot from the weapon, prompting all other vessels to lay siege with an array of yellowish gold energy blast. The assault covered the island in an explosion, resulting in a large plum or smoke that lasted for a few minutes.

Once the smoke cleared, the island was gone. The only parts remaining were small bits of land that protruded out of the sea. Drake smiled before she turned around, walking back to her class, "Now then, let's head back to school." She said before the pistol in her hands disappeared, the rest of her fleet also vanished as she made her way to the captain's wheel, "You should all rest up now, you've earned it." Drake said before she put on her black-rimmed hat, "That sure was an adventure."

The students were still in awe for a second before retiring to the door below the forecast deck. Neo and Jekyll entered and walked over to one of the rooms on the far right. Neo entered first to pulling Jekyll inside before the door closed, a slight smirk was on her face.

Robin Hood sighed as he walked to one of the doors to another room, "IThenwish I could have done more out there, but I'm glad nobody died."

"That's right, we got lucky." Emerald commented before looking to the ground, "Listen, Robin, I was wondering if-" She was saying before she heard a door close, discovering Robin Hood had entered a room without her, "Oh, maybe another time." She said before she turned to see Nora helping Frankenstein walk, "Here, let me get the door." Emerald said as she walked over to them, opening the door to an empty room.

As the three walked into the room, Kiyohime leaned on Ren as they walked nearby. She stopped, causing Ren to look over at her in slight worry, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kiyohime responded with a weak smile, "But I think you should go in there and talk to Nora." She said as she let go of Ren, leaning against the opposite wall, "I'll wait here for you to come back." Ren had a look of confusion before Kiyohime gave a slight nod. He then nodded back before turning to the room and entering.

Kiyohime waited outside the room for a few minutes, not moving as she had a hopeful smile. She waited a few more minutes before her gaze looked the floor. After a few more minutes, she sighed before she closed her eyes. The draconic Faunus then started to walk away to her own room. Suddenly, the door reopened. Kiyohime opened her eyes, seeing Ren exiting and heading towards her, "Ren-" She was saying, but Ren interrupted her with a kiss on her lips, holding her close with his left arm. Kiyohime's eyes widened in shock before peacefully closing. In the corner of her eyes formed tears of joy that ran down the side of her.

Peaking outside in the jar of the door was Nora, looking at the two with a slight smile before closing the door. She sighed before turning to see Emerald sitting on a bed Frankenstein laid on a bed on the opposite side of the room, "You're okay with this now?" Emerald asked, "I mean, just yesterday you cried yourself to sleep at the same sight."

"It's okay, I thought she was stealing Ren from me." Nora said as she sat next to Emerald, "But, Ren wasn't mine, to begin with. He picked her because he loves her very much." She then closed her eyes as she remembered their recent conversation, "It's like he said, he felt an instant connection to her. That he sensed sadness in her he felt compelled to ease, almost feeling like it was fate that he would make her happy. And in doing so, it made him feel happy." She then turned back to Emerald, "I might have felt that way about him, but never felt that way about me." She then put on a big smile as she giggled, "So, for me, I'm happy as long as Ren is happy."

"Au." Frankenstein responded with a smile.

"Thanks, Fran," Nora replied, "That means a lot."

"Well, we have to get some rest now." Emerald said as she stretched back, "I would actually look forward to some normal classes for a change." She said with Nora giggling, Fran joining in also. The three girls smiled as they enjoyed their time of peace.

 **AN: There you go, the voyage is over. So, in the context of this story, Heracles was the first Legendary Hero of Apocrypha. He also speaks in MS Mincho from Grand Order, I thought that was a good way to write his dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, writing Fran was very emotional for me in this chapter, even having me tear up at some moments. She got to use her Noble Phantasm and manages to barely live with the help of Nora. I really like how I took Nora's character this story, trying to make her more than comic relief. She may have lost her hammer, but she'll get a replacement of something cool. It was nice having Emerald take on a more heroic role, she really has changed her perspective from the start of the story. Kiyohime and Ren's relationship was something I really wanted to get right in this story and was happy with the outcome. It's sad he doesn't feel that way about Nora here, but that relationship will probably evolve in the show. Neo, Jekyll, and Robin did the least this chapter, but they helped in their own way to prevent people from dying to Heracles. And Finally, Drake proved how awesome she is here with her own Noble Phantasm. This has been one of my favorite chapters so far and I can't wait to do more.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	25. Chapter 23 - Silver Eyes Revelation

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is the one a lot of you have been waiting for, the fight between archers and riders. It was a hard battle to write, with a lot of characters having moments when they shine. As the title of the chapter shows, the silver eyes concept comes into play here. However, the way they work in this story is different than in the RWBY series. It acts here in a way to fit in the Fate series of abilities, doing something I think is cool. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 23 – Silver Eyes Revelation**

 _Archers vs. Riders._

In the plains far outside the Academy walls, Raby and Astolfo were waiting next to Cu Chulainn. There were no obstacles for half a mile in all directions. In the distance, Archer sored through the sky, carrying Cinder in his arms like before. He landed near the group before letting her go. Cu Chulainn turned to him with an annoyed expression, "You know, for someone who asked me to set up this match. You have some nerve being late."

"Call it last second preparation," Archer responded, "Also, I had to help out one of her teammates walk again." He then looked over to see Ruby and Astolfo, "At least you two were here on time."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Astolfo said with an uneasy smile. The svelte paladin then looked over to Ruby, seeing her stare at Cinder with an odd expression, "What's wrong?" He said as Cinder crossed her arms

"Sorry," Ruby said Cinder, "I thought you looked familiar."

"I get that a lot," Cinder replied with a smile on her face. She then turned to Cu Chulainn, "Shall we get started?"

"You're always to the point." the blue-haired lancer said with a smile, "Very well, this is a two-on-two fight. And it looks like it's archers," He said to Cinder and Archer before cutting himself off to look of over to Ruby and Astolfo, "versus riders." He then started back up as he smiled, "You four can go all out here. I just going to monitor just in case something goes wrong." He then glanced over to Archer, "Like, I don't know, someone gets a concussion after a locker gets dropped on their head. I have to be there to take a picture of it."

"That's not going to happen to me," Archer said to Cu Chulainn before turning to Ruby, "But, I'm interested in how much ingenuity you have."

"And I look forward to seeing what your Noble Phantasm is," She said as she held out her arms, calling her Crescent Rose to her hands in its scythe form, "I hope it's really cool."

"It's not that cool," the blue-haired said under his breath, but Archer still overheard and glared at the blue-haired lancer. Cu Chulainn cleared his throat, "Without further a due," He said as Cinder and Archer created their respective short swords, one in each hand. Astolfo drew his sword as he readied his stance. Ruby's eyes focused on her opponents, who were a few meters away, "Begin!"

At the start of the match, the two archers threw their weapons towards the riders. The short blades spun as they arced in their path through the air. Ruby and Astolfo took up a defensive stance as the weapons approached. However, the had a sudden look of confusion as the four blades all converged a couple of feet in front of them, creating a large smoke explosion. Astolfo was encompassed by the smoke, while Ruby jumped back to avoid, "What type of starting move was that?" Astolfo said before coughing in the smoke cloud, his vision was blurry as he couldn't make anything close to him. Suddenly, he saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes approach him rapidly. He then noticed what looked like embers in the smoke formed two short blades in the approaching person hands, leading to the person attempting a downward swing with both weapons. The svelte paladin held his sword horizontally to block. Upon impact, a shockwave was created that pushed away from the smoke.

It was Cinder that attacked Astolfo, glared down at him with a sinister smile, "I'll be your opponent for now." She said as Astolfo gritted his teeth.

Not too far away, Ruby got ready to rush Cinder. However, she stopped herself as she saw a red arrow pass right by her nose. She looked over at Archer's position but did not see him their right away. The silver-eyed girl only saw what looked like a red dot almost a quarter of a mile away. She changed her weapon to it sniper form and looked towards the red object, discovering Archer with a bow in hand, "Hey!" Ruby shouted as she looked away from the scope, "Why are you running away!?"

"Ruby, he's an archer class," Cu Chulainn answered, "People in that class typically don't fight at close range." He then looked over to see Cinder attempted multiple slashes towards Astolfo, "Typically, but there are expectations," He then looked back to Ruby, "You should probably find a way to close the distance."

Ruby then turned back to see Archer, dead center in her scope. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, the silver-haired man shot a volley of glowing red arrows into the sky. Ruby looked up to see the projectiles heading straight for her. Quickly, she sprinted to her right to avoid the attack. However, Archer continued to fire into the sky, each arrow on a path towards the silver eyed girl's location. Ruby continued to run, but the rose petals she left behind were obliterated by the arrows before they could fall to the ground. She turned back to Archer, attempting to sprint towards him, but a barrage of arrows landed in front of her. Halting her movement while Archer smirked before continuing his barrage, "Think Ruby, think!" She said as she started to run again to dodge the raining down of arrows. Suddenly, an idea went off in her head. She took out her scroll and began texting while running.

In the distance, Archer hear an odd sound coming from the sky above. He looked over to see something resembling a rectangular metal box. While Archer had a look of confusion, Cu Chulainn had a line of sweat come down his face as he took another step back. Suddenly, Archer remembered what the object was, causing him to make a single laugh, "Does she think I'm as dumb as Lancer to fall for the same trick?" He said before aiming at the flying locker in midair, fired a crimson arrow towards it. However, Ruby jumped towards her locker form the ground. she landed on the door and angled her body forward, causing the locker to dodge the arrow, "What?" Archer said in disbelief as he witnesses Ruby riding her rocket locker through the sky.

While clashing blades with Cinder, Astolfo looked up to see his roommate in the air, causing a large smile to form on his face, "Now that's using your Riding Skill!" The svelte paladin called out, causing Ruby to turn to him with a slight wave before heading towards Archer.

However, in the distraction, Cinder knocked Astolfo's sword out of his hand. The sword fell on the ground a few feet away as the black-haired archer point her left-handed short blade to Astolfo's throat, "You should pay attention to the lady in front of you."

"Sorry," Astolfo said with a cheery smile, "But if Ruby is going to start making a comeback, I might as well stop holding back." He said before whistling, causing his Hippogriff to appear behind him. The majestic creature screamed while Cinder had a look of panic. The black-haired archer jumped back as the Hippogriff tried to bite her. Cinder gritted her teeth as Astolfo mounted the Hippogriff, "Let's see how good your archery skill really it." The svelte paladin said before the majestic creature flapped its wings to take off. Cinder combined her two swords, creating a longbow.

Embers started to burn off her dress, gathering to form three arrows. She grabbed them and started to take aim at the svelte paladin, who had ascended high in the sky. She fired the arrows at the same time, but each shot was off by a few feet from hitting its target. Astolfo smiled as each arrow passed next to him. However, Cinder grinned as the arrows began to glow a burning white in the middle of the air. The three arrows exploded, forming a black cloud of dust around the svelte paladin.

However, in the smoke clearing, Astolfo and the Hippogriff were unharmed. The two were safe in a yellow bubble. Under Astolfo's left hand was a leather-bound book, "A forcefield." Cinder said under her breath as her smile faded.

"You're going to have to do better than that." Astolfo declared as force field faded. He extended his left hand, causing a flurry of golden particles to gather in his hand. The concentrated to form a large white lance with gold adornment, "Fest your eyes on the Trap of Argalia," Astolfo said as he held his weapon in a jousting position, the Hippogriff screaming in intimidation, "You'll be down with a single touch." He then descended rapidly towards Cinder, a spiraling golden aura formed around his body and mount.

Cinder stood in a calm stance as she glared at Astolfo. Just as Astolfo was about to connect his attack, Cinder jumped to her left to avoid the hit. In the middle of her dodge, she formed a single arrow and fired it towards the Hippogriff. However, the majestic beast evaded the arrow as Cinder recomposed herself on the ground. She glared up at Astolfo, who was winking as he looked down at her.

At the other end of the field, Archer failed to land a hit on Ruby as she rode her locker through the air. She quickly closed the gap between the two, prompting Archer to deconstruct his bow and arrow. Once she was closing in on him, Archer knelt to place his hands on his ankles. Ruby then backflipped off her ride, causing the rocket locker plummeted towards the silver-haired man at high speed.

Cu Chulainn grinned as he waited for the locker to hit its mark. However, the grin soon faded as Archer jumped straight up, avoiding the locker. A gust of wind erupted from his ankles as he ascended into the sky. Quickly, he passed Ruby in altitude before leaning his body forward. Another blast of wind ejected from his ankles, creating an almost shotgun noise. Archer descended towards Ruby, attempting a downward vertical left kick. The silver-eyed girl blocked the kick with her weapon, the body of the sniper rifle colliding with the back of his heel. However, Ruby was still sent flying back towards the ground, crashing into the dirt, and dropping her weapon a few meters from her body. Archer landed back on his feet near Crescent Rose, looking over to see Ruby try to get back up.

As Ruby pushed herself up, she looked at Archer's ankles. She noticed what looked like black ankle gauntlets, "So, that's your Noble Phantasm?" She asked as she got back on her feet, stumbling a little bit before rebalancing, "It kind of looks like my sister's weapon."

"These are a trace of Mercury's Noble Phantasm," Archer said before the ankle gauntlets faded away, "With me making his new legs, I thought that it would be good to make a copy of his weapon as well."

"You can copy weapons, that's so cool!" Ruby responded with a gleeful smile, "Can you copy any weapon?" Archer smirked as he looked over to see Crescent Rose on the ground. He picked it up, causing the weapon to return to its scythe form in his hands. As he examined it, Ruby had a look of confusion. Suddenly, Archer tossed Crescent Rose back to Ruby. The silver-eyed girl caught her weapon in midair, tilting her head as she looked back at Archer. The silver-haired man raised his right hand, causing a bluish lightning to form in his palm. As he closed his grip, an exact copy of Crescent Rose formed in his hand, "Wow!" Ruby said in awe as Archer took up a fighting stance with the weapon.

"I do like the color," Archer said as he looked at the traced Crescent Rose, "But, I'll just keep it in this form." He then looked over to Ruby, who held her weapon in a similar fashion, "Shall we?" He said before Ruby nodded.

The two then rushed towards one another, the blades clashing on impact. Each one pushed the other back, but Archer regained his footing first. He attempted a horizontal swing towards the silver-eyed girl. Before she could get hit, she ducked the swipe. She then attempted her own horizontal strike to his ankles. Archer did a short jump to avoid the hit before stomping on Ruby's scythe, halting its movement. Ruby then looked up to see Archer attempt a downward vertical with his weapon, but Ruby let go of her Crescent Rose rolled to her left to avoid the hit. The copy scythe embedded into the ground, prompting Archer to let go of his weapon to reach for Ruby. He grabbed the silver-eyed girl by her cape as she tried to stand up. As she struggled, Archer pulled the cape of her head, temporarily blocking her vision. Before she could pull off the cape, Archer delivered a right spin kick to Ruby's stomach.

Ruby was sent flying back a few feet, landing on her back as she held her stomach in pain. As she stood back up, Archer grabbed both scythes, wielding one in each hand. Ruby had a line of sweat come down her face as saw Archer rush her. He attempted an upward slash with the scythe in his right hand, following up with the same attack with the scythe in left hand. Ruby fell back as all she could do was dodge each strike. Her breathing became heavy as she tried to avoid the endless assault. She tightened her right fist and attempted a right jab. However, Archer dodged slightly to the left, causing the punch to completely miss. Before Ruby could recover, Archer punished with a quick knee to the silver-eyed girl's stomach. Ruby gasped for air as she held her abdomen falling to her knees.

On Cinder's side of the battlefield, she continued to fire arrows towards the svelte paladin. One of two things always happened. Either the arrow missed due to the Hippogriff's evasive actions. Or the arrow hit its mark but could not penetrate the force field. Astolfo continued to try and land a ramming hit with his Trap of Argalia, but Cinder always managed to dodge at the last second. However, her breathing was slightly weighed, but her gaze was infuriated towards the svelte paladin. While she stood with her bow, the embers around her became less apparent. "Oh," Cu Chulainn commented, "You seem to be out of arrows."

"I guess you don't have as much of arsenal as your partner does," Astolfo called down from the sky, followed by the Hippogriff screaming.

Cinder glared up at the svelte paladin, her eyes began to glow with a fiery, yellow aura, "Archer told me you could be an annoying foe." She said as she held her bow in her left hand, extended her right arm with her palm pointed to the sky, "That's why he gave me this." Suddenly, a pillar of red aura formed on her right hand. In her palm was a short, spiral-bladed sword with a blue handle.

"Hey," The blue-haired lancer said as Cinder strung the sword like an arrow, the spiral form straightening out as she aimed for Astolfo, "That's one of Archer's Noble Phantasms." A line of sweat form on his face as Cinder smiled, "It's not advised for someone use another's Noble Phantasm without practice first."

"What do you think this is?" Cinder commented as a circle of fire formed around her feet, "Besides, you said anything goes." She aimed with her left eye as it glowed more violently.

The svelte paladin looked down to see a circle of fire around Cinder's location, "Oh boy," Astolfo said as he stayed in the air in one position, "She's serious now." Suddenly, he had a smile on his face as the forcefield formed around him and the Hippogriff, "It would be rude of me to try and dodge."

The energy radiated from Cinder's arrow as she aimed at her target, "If I can reach for the stars, then I can hold them in my hands." She chanted as she focused her gaze completed on the midair target, "Caladbolg." The black-haired said before letting go, unleashing the arrow towards the sky. Upon release, the shockwave from the arrow put out the flames on the ground while pushing Cinder back to the ground. The Caladbolg rapidly headed towards Astolfo, leaving a spiral trial in the sky on its path. It collided with the forcefield, creating an explosion near five times as large as the one Cinder's arrows made before.

Archer looked from across the plain to see a large fireball in the sky. A few seconds later, a shockwave passed over his body, almost knocking him off balance. While on the ground, Ruby turned her head to look towards the explosion, now seeing a gigantic black cloud in the sky. Near the bottom of the cloud, Astolfo's body freefell towards the ground. Ruby's eyes widened in panic as she tried to crawl to get up, but Archer blocked her path with one of the scythes. She turned to him in anger, but Archer pointed back to the black cloud.

As Ruby looked, she saw the Hippogriff emerge from the smoke, its body badly damaged, but it still screamed with all its might. It sored downwards towards its rider, catching him on its back, and slowly fell to the ground. Ruby turned back to Archer, "I would worry about yourself before him." Archer said as he reposed with both scythes, "This match isn't over yet."

Ruby took up a defensive stance as she tried to back up, but Archer walked forward. She had one hand on her stomach as she looked for an opening. Suddenly, Archer rushed her, attempting to strike with both scythes at the same time. Ruby continued to dodge, but each hit managed to get closer and closer to her body. Suddenly, the silver-eyed girl reached behind her back, pulling out a single rifle round in her left hand. She then rushed towards Archer as he attempted a downwards swing with his right-handed Crescent Rose.

Just barely, she dodged the brunt the slash. The scythe only grazing her left shoulder, ripping the cape in the process. However, Ruby reached up and grabbed the right-handed Crescent Rose, pressing a button near the beard end of the blade. Archer looked in confusion as an ammo loading mechanism opened near the grip. Ruby focused on it as she jammed the rifle round into the slot. As the loading mechanism closed, Archer horizontally swung with his left-handed Crescent Rose. Ruby ducked the swipe, only cutting a few strands of hair off the top of her head. She then looked to the see the firing trigger of the right-handed Crescent Rose, pushing it back before Archer could react.

The right-handed Crescent Rose fired the round. However, the exhausted port ejected a black smoke as the frame began to overheat. Archer released his right-handed grip on the weapon before it exploded. He shielded himself from most of the blast, but Ruby dived for the Crescent Rose in his left hand. Due to his distraction, Ruby manage to pull the scythe out of his hand before he could recover. Archer stumbled for a bit before rebalancing, While Ruby reposed with her scythe. He turned to her with a slight smile, "And what exactly was your plan there?"

Ruby had a slight chuckle as she tried to catch her breath, "Well, you made a good copy of my Crescent Rose. But, I noticed you didn't quite match the sniper configuration as well as you thought." She said as Archer crossed his arms, "You made the barrel too narrow. Also, the ammo clip with pushed up near too close to the firing mechanism." She said as she changed her scythe it sniper form, pointing to the different parts as she talked, "With that, firing one of my high caliber rounds would not only damage the barrel but cause a type of overheating before the whole thing would break apart." She then smiled as she looked back to Archer, "If you want, I can give you a few tips on the match."

"No thanks, firearms were never my specialty," He said before uncrossing his arms, reforming his Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands. Ruby shrugged before changing her Crescent Rose back into a scythe. A sudden silence fell between the two as they stared at one another. Abruptly, the two vanished in a flash, Ruby only leaving rose petals behind. Through their empty section of the field, the sound of blades clashing was heard from all around. Sparks glinted off the weapons with each impact as the moved over the plain at high speeds. The two suddenly reappeared, the blades of the short swords grinding against the blade of the scythe. The two then vanished again as they continued to clash.

On the other side of the field, Astolfo was opening his eyes. The svelte paladin's clothes were severely damaged, ripped, and slightly burned. He had multiple cuts on his face and the ends of his cap were tattered. His Hippogriff had landed on the ground, laying on its stomach as it breathed heavily, "Well, that hurt a lot more than I expected." He said with pushing himself off his Hippogriff. The svelte paladin then petted the majestic creature on the head, a slight smile on his face, "You did well out there, leave the rest to me." He said before the Hippogriff made a weak scream before fading away.

Astolfo then looked over to see Cinder walking over to him. The bow was now in her right hand as her left hand covered her left eye. "You're still willing to fight," The black-haired archer said as she lowered her hand, she revealed her eye was near completely red. A trail of blood from her left tear ducked was going down the side of her face. Her attempt at using Archer's Noble Phantasm had lead to her own popped blood vessel.

"Well, normally I would try to fake getting knocked out at this point. So, I didn't have to fight anymore." Astolfo said as he stretched out his back. he then titled his head, hearing the sword clashing getting closer, "But, if Ruby's still fighting, I shouldn't give up yet."

Cinder then gritted her teeth as she broke apart her bow into two short swords. Astolfo quickly scanned the area to see were his Trap of Argalia had landed but found it nowhere in sight. However, he glanced over to see his sword from earlier on the match on the ground. He then glanced back to Cinder with a slight smile.

Suddenly, Cinder rushed towards the svelte paladin, attempting a vertical slash from both directions with her short swords. Astolfo stood his ground, reaching to his cape with his right hand. As Cinder was a few feet in front of him, he ripped off the cape and threw the large fabric towards Cinder.

Cinder slashed right through the cape but lost sight of Astolfo. She turned to discover the svelte paladin running to his sword. The black-haired archer tossed her right short sword like a dagger to Astolfo. However, he ducked the blade and continued to run. Cinder weapon landed right next to Astolfo's sword, just a foot past his, "Nice try," He called out as he put his right hand on the handle of his sword. However, the confidence in his expression faded quickly as saw the Cinder's blade glow a white-hot red, "Ut-oh." He said before the short sword exploded. The blast from the shockwave flung the svelte paladin back, causing him to land on his back. As he looked up, he saw Cinder attempt a downward stab towards him. Luckily for the svelte paladin, he still held onto his own sword and used it to block the sudden attack.

"Why are you so annoying!" Cinder declared as she gritted her teeth, trying to force the blade down into his chest.

"I'm annoying?" Astolfo asked with a slight smile, as he pushed back with his sword. He then managed to roll away from the stab and stand back up, "I'm not annoying, just eccentric." He said as he had both hands on his sword's handle.

The two then titled their heads to the left to see Ruby and Archer were only a few feet away. Archer dodged as the horizontal slash from the silver-eyed girl by jumping into the air. He landed to the right of Cinder as Ruby ran to Astolfo's left, "Hey Ruby," Astolfo said in a cheery voice, "You still haven't beaten Archer yet?"

"No, he's pretty strong. Also, fast." Ruby responded with a smile, but her breathing was heavy, "I think I'm going to pass out soon."

"Well," Astolfo said with a smile as he looked over to the two archers, "We better finish this quickly then."

Archer glanced over to Cinder, "Are you sure you can continue? I didn't intend for you to use Caladbolg this quickly." He said with a slight smile form on his face, "But, it is amazing you are still standing after firing it."

"I'm fine," Cinder responded angrily as she focused on Astolfo, "I will not be made a fool of by this child any longer!"

Archer then closed his eyes as he had a slight chuckle, "Very well," He said before opening his eyes, glaring down at the two riders, "Let's us end this."

Suddenly, Cinder and Archer rushed Astolfo. The svelte paladin tried to parry the three blades but was quickly overwhelmed. Cinder raised her short sword over her head for a downward attack. However, Ruby changed her Crescent Rose into its sniper form, firing a shot, and destroying the short sword.

Seeing the defenseless opponent, Astolfo headed towards Cinder this his sword raised. However, Archer stood in his path, crossing his blades to block the downward slash. The silver-haired man glanced to his left to see Ruby aimed at him with the sniper rifle. Right as she had her finger on the trigger, Archer took a slight breath, "Overedge." He whispered under his breath.

Suddenly, his Kanshou and Bakuya glowed in a white light before elongating, nearly tripling in length with gaged edges. Ruby was in shock as Archer then refocused on Astolfo's weapon, tightening his grip on his own. Acting almost like scissors, Archer used his short swords to cut through Astolfo's sword, snapping it in two. Before the svelte paladin could react, Archer slashed him across the chest with Bakuya. At that moment, Cinder jumped over her teammate. While she was in the air, Archer tossed her Kanshou. After catching it, the black-haired archer connected with a downward slash on the Astolfo with Kanshou, creating an x-shaped scar on his chest, as she landed.

Astolfo then fell on his back as Cinder landed on the ground. She and Archer then looked over to Ruby, who had a look of fear on her face. Suddenly, the two archers rushed the now lone rider. In close range, Ruby changed her weapon back to its scythe form. She tried to parry the onslaught of stashes but felt quickly overwhelmed. Cinder and Archer perform a simultaneous upward slash with the short swords, the blades connecting with Ruby's Crescent Rose. She was still in a stunned state from the force of the impact, her hands over her head as she tried to hold onto her weapon. At that moment, both archers unleashed a spin kick, each one mirroring the other's motion, with the target point of Ruby's stomach. The silver-eyed girl flew through the air, landing on her back a few good distances from her opponents. She coughed as she tried to find the will to stand back up.

Astolfo raised his head slightly, looking to see the marks on his body. He tried to push himself back up, but soon found Cinder pointing the end of Kanshou at his throat. He gritted his teeth as he looked up at her, smiling down at him. The two then looked over to see Ruby standing back up her feet slight shaking as she struggled to hold her balance. Archer deconstructed his Bakuya as he looked at Ruby, "This fight is over." He said as Ruby tried to hold her scythe properly, "Unless, you have one more trick up your sleeve."

Ruby had a slight smile come on her face, "Just one more," She said before raising her scythe behind her head. At that moment, she sprinted forward with a gunshot coming from the end of her Crescent Rose. She continued to fire to increase her velocity towards her opponent, a flurry of created a trail behind her.

Archer watched as the silver-eyed girl approached. He remained calm as he raised in right hand in her direction, as it to intercept her attack, "Rho Aias!" Archer said before a lightish red light emanated in front of him. The light gathered and formed a type of barrier, one in the shape of a flower.

Ruby continued, unfazed by the incoming barrier. She swung her scythe towards the barrier, creating an eruption of energy from the collision. The tip of the scythe tried to pierce the barrier, but it could not embed any deeper than an inch. Ruby yelled as she tried to force her way through, but Archer remained calm. Suddenly, Archer's expression changed as he focused on Ruby's weapon. The lightish red energy radiated violently. The silver-haired man then thrust his right arm forward, causing the barrier to abruptly create more layers of shields.

One of the outer layers collided with Ruby's body, forcing her to a stop before flinging her back. As she flew back, her grip on Crescent Rose was lost. Her weapon fell to the ground, the frame warped and the bladed cracked. Ruby landed on her back again, this time, she did not have the strength to stand back up. She had just enough strength to push herself into a sitting position, but she then noticed a line of blood from the top of her head down her face.

In the distance, Cu Chulainn walked over to the group, "Well, I hate to admit it," The blue haired lancer said in a regretful voice, "But archers win this round."

Astolfo barely managed to pull himself up, looking over to see Ruby holding her head, "Sorry Ruby," He said as he held his chest in pain, "We gave it our best shot."

"You did put up a good fight," Archer responded as he looked over to Ruby, "But you didn't push me enough for me to use my true Noble Phantasm."

"I think you should show her it now," Cinder said as she had a slightly sinister smile, "She looks like she is about to cry, it might cheer her up."

"There's no reason to say something like that in that tone," Cu Chulainn responded as helped up Astolfo, "Now, all of you should go to the infirmary."

"Come on Ruby," Archer said as he walked over to the silver-eyed girl, reaching out with his right arm. However, Ruby continued to whale in pain as she held her head, "It's okay, you probably are just experiencing some blunt force trauma from that last hit." He said as he reached down towards her.

Suddenly, Ruby looked up towards Archer. Her eyes began to radiate a silver light the expanded over the area. Archer retracted his hand in fear as he covered his eyes. Cu Chulainn and Astolfo watched in shock as the light encompassed them. Cinder's eyes widened in panic as she could not avoid the light.

After a few seconds, Archer opened his eyes. However, he had a look of confusion on his face. Everywhere he looked was pure white. He was unable to tell the depth of field, the vastness of white seemed to stretch on for miles. He turned back to see Cinder, Cu Chulainn, and Astolfo with a similar look of confusion, "Wh– Where are we?" The blue-haired lancer said as he stood. He then looked at the ground seeing it as a pure white texture, but no shadow was cased. He then looked up to the sky, seeing the exact same shade of white.

Astolfo also looked down, placing his hand on what he assumed the ground was. It solid and flat like smooth marble, "This is weird." He said as he saw a drop of blood fall from his body. However, the blood drop did not hit the ground. It continued to plummet to the bottom of a seemingly endless void, "Really weird." He said as face remained in a shocked.

"Archer," Cinder angerly asked the silver-haired man, "What is this place!?"

"I'm not sure," Archer said as he examined the area for any indication of something different. He then looked over to the silver-eyed girl, whose eyes only now slightly glowed, "But, I think we're in Ruby's re-."

"No," Cinder interrupted in anger, "There is no way this little girl has the power to make something like that." He then glared over at the silver-eyed girl, who had a look of innocent confusion of the matter, "There is no way this is her doing. It must be something else. This has to be something else!"

"Cinder," Archer responded, "You're the one that told me about the silver-"

"Don't try to use my words against me!" Cinder shouted back.

"Calm down." Cu Chulainn responded, "Yelling isn't going to get us out of here."

"How do we get out of here?" Astolfo asked before turning to Ruby, "Can you get us here?"

"I... I." Ruby said as she now had both hands on her head, "I-"

"Shut up," Cinder interrupted as she looked over to Ruby, pointing at her with Kanshou, "You didn't make this. This isn't yours." The black-haired archer then started to walk towards Ruby, her grip on the weapon tightening.

Suddenly, Kanshou vanished in her hand. She turned to look over to Archer, who had an enraged look on her face, "Cinder!" he said as he glared at her, "What were you about to do?" Cinder did not answer, only glaring back at him as her breathing became heavy. Suddenly, Archer's expression changed to worry, "Cinder, don't move." He said as he raised his right hand slowly, causing Cinder to have a look of confusion.

Suddenly, Cinder felt something sharp slight pressed against her throat. Her eyes filled with panic as she tried to stand still. From Archer's perceptive, he saw a thin white scythe blade over the black-haired archer's neck. He then noticed someone standing behind Cinder. The body type looked female, only slightly taller than Ruby. The person also wore an outfit that resembled Ruby's, but this person's wardrobe was pure white, making her nearly invisible in this environment. The hood was also up, covering most of her face. However, the eyes were still visible. They glared at Archer with the same silver color as his and Ruby's. Cu Chulainn and Astolfo had a look of panic. As to them, the person in the white hood was completely invisible. The white-hooded woman's silver eyes narrowed as she glanced over to silver, slowly moving the scythe blade closer. Cinder looked down to see a small cut form on her neck, a slight amount of blood pouring out, "Archer," Cinder asked in as she tried to tilt her head back, "What is trying to kill me?"

Suddenly, Ruby looked up towards Cinder, but her gaze was more focused on the person behind her. Ruby's eyes widened in alarm as her arms fell limp, falling to the ground. Her mouth remained open as she began to hyperventilate, "M-Mom!" Ruby asked as her eyes quivered.

Archer looked to see the white-hooded woman glance over to Ruby, but the eyes were still focused as she stared at her. Ruby's breathing became more rapid as she made eye contact with the person. Abruptly, Ruby's breathing slowed to a near halt as her eyes slowly closed. She then fell forward, laying on her stomach on the white ground.

Suddenly, the white void around the group began to fade and disappear. Archer watched as the white-hooded person faded also. Once freed, Cinder began to take deep breaths as she held her neck, her eyes quivered as she fell to her knees. Astolfo ran over to Ruby, cradling her in his arms as the girl had now passed out. Cu Chulainn was dumbfounded as he walked over to Archer, "What just happen?" The blue haired-lancer asked, "Was that even real?" As Archer looked over the area, he noticed something falling from the sky like snow. The silver-haired man reached out to grab the object. Upon pulling it closer, he could identify it as a petal of a flower, "What is that?" Cu Chulainn asked.

"A white rose petal." Archer answered before looking over to the silver-eyed girl on the ground, "What we just went through was Ruby's Reality Marble."

 **AN: There you go, the big fight ended in a win for the archers. I had a lot of fun using the different weapons each side had, including mixing some of the weapons like Archer using duel Crescent Roses and Cinder managing to fire Caladbolg. Astolfo got to use a lot of his weapons but just got outclassed here. Ruby also got to do some cool stuff like riding her locker and figuring out how to break Archer's false Crescent Rose, (Note: the locker is not Ruby's riding mount I have planned, I just wanted to use it in this chapter for the fight as reference to V3). And at the end, she pushed herself so hard that the silver eyes activated. Here, her silver eyes take her and her foes to a reality marble that is a pure white void. In that void lies a person that looks very familiar to Ruby, a person only those with silver eyes can see. This is the ability of her silver eyes here, very different than what V3 showed, but is a change I made to fight the world of this crossover. Though, it does seem to effect Cinder's mental state the same way none the less.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	26. Chapter 24 - Receive You

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is meant be a moving forward point for the next phase of this story. Now we're starting to see certain RWBY characters finding their true mentor from the Fate series. This one has a lot of character moments where they make a very tough choice. Also, the ending fight has me make a cool reference to a certain action game series. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 24 – Receive You**

 _Ruby._

Ruby laid asleep in a bed in the medical wing with a ring of bandages around her forehead. However, her eyes began to twitch as her expression changed to one of fear. They soon opened as she gasped for air, her body changing to a sitting position.

"It's okay," A voice called to the silver eyed girl. She looked to discover it was Astolfo, who had changed back to his casual clothes. However, his normally exposed midriff was completely covered with bandages. The svelt paladin sat in a nearby chair with a look of relief on his face, "Don't worry Ruby, everything's fine."

"Wha-" Ruby said as she placed her right hand on her head, "What happened?"

"Well," Astolfo said as he tilted his head, "It's a lot to explain." He then paused for a second to contemplate how to respond, "Basically, you created what's called a reality marble." The svelte paladin said, noticing Ruby have a further look of confusion, "Okay, a reality marble is like…think of it like your imaginary place. Although, with the case of some people, they can make it real and go there physically." His expression changed to one of slight remorse as he continued, "And…the person can make whatever they want in there real also."

"I-" Ruby said as she looked at her hands, seeing them shaking, "I saw my mom." She then started to have tears from her in her eyes, "I thought she was-"

"You don't have to say anymore Ruby," Astolfo interrupted, "I ran into your teammate Blake while waiting for you to recover. She told me what happened to your mother when you were very young." He said with Ruby still crying, trying to wipe her eyes, "But, you should know that what you saw wasn't really her." Astolfo said, his voice turning more serious than ever before, "Ruby, no matter what, you can't let that image haunt you anymore."

"But what does this mean?" Ruby responded, "I can't just let this go by, why she was there?" The silver eyed girl then clenched her fists, "How do I go back?"

"I wish I knew the answers. But, truth be told, I'm sort of clueless to the whole thing." Astolfo said as he leaned back in his chair a slight smile on his face as he closed his eyes. He opened one to see Ruby frowning, "But, I know someone who can give you advice." He said with Ruby's expression changing to confusion, "Lucky for you, there is a teacher here who has a Noble Phantasm like yours. Except, he calls it his Super Noble Phantasm."

"Super Noble Phantasm?" Ruby responded as Astolfo nodded.

"Yep," He responded, "And the best part is, he is also a rider class. We were going to be in his class anyway, talk about fate right." He said with a slight giggle

"Who is-" Ruby said but was interrupted by the loud sound on the door to their room being kicked open.

"Hello, Riders!" Ruby heard declared to as she turned her head, seeing Iskandar walking in, ducking the doorframe, "The King of Conquerors has arrived." He said as Ruby had a look of worry on her face, looking up at the massive man enter. She turned his gaze to Astolfo, how had a slight smile as he got up out of his chair.

"Your entrance was a little early," Astolfo commented, "But, thanks for responding quickly to my call." Suddenly, Iskandar picked up the svelte paladin and hugged him like a bear, almost squeezing the life out of him, "Okay, that hurts a bit." Also managed to say while his voice was weak.

"My apologies," Iskandar said as he put Astolfo down, "I am just overjoyed. Learning yesterday that the transfer program has sent new students to our school was exciting. However, learning that one of them is a rider class who has an unbelievable reality marble has my blood pumping as a teacher even more than before!" He then looked around at the room for someone at eye level, "Now, where is this Ruby Rose."

As he looked around, Ruby slowly raised her right hand, "Uh…That's me." She said, finally getting his attention, "I was wondering if-"

"Ah, I see!" Iskandar cut her off, "You are like a youthful rose on the path of blooming." He then hit his chest with his right fist, "Fear not, I shall aid you in discovering your true potential as a member of the Rider class."

"Uh…Thanks," Ruby said as she looked up at the King of Conquerors walk over to her, "But, I have a lot of question. Like, how do I -"

Suddenly, Ruby was cut off as Iskandar placed his right hand on the top of her head, "And I intend to help you answer those question. But first, you must rest up for the coming lessons." He said as he raised his right hand off her head, extending index finger to point upward, "First, you will need a proper mount. While I am impressed of your Riding Skill with your locker. A Rider Class is defined by their relationship between their faithful animal companion." He then extended his right middle finger along with his index, holding up two fingers, "Then, we can master your ability to call and create your reality marble. It will be a long and hard trail, but if your heart is willing, you can overcome anything!" he said before extending his right ring finger along with the other two, "And three…hmmm…I haven't planned that far ahead." He said before lowering his hand, crossing his arms as he smiled with confidence, "None the less, I, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, will mentor you on what unlocking true potential really means. What is your answer?"

"Uh…" Ruby said, finally having the opportunity to speak, but now struggling to put her words together. She looked up at the King of Conquerors, who had a large grin as he waited for her answer, "I…Uh," She said before breaking contact, looking down at her hands. Her mind went to the white shrouded person she saw in her reality marble. She then gritted her teeth as she clenched her fists.

"Young Rose," Iskandar said, promoting Ruby to look back up at him, "Do you truly wish to let what you have learned about yourself remain a mystery. Or, will you seize the opportunity to head down the path of greatness."

"I mean," Astolfo interrupted, "She just woke up from a near concussion. Maybe you should give her a day or so to-"

"Okay," Ruby interrupted with her answer to Iskandar, causing the King of Conquerors smile to grow wider as Astolfo was left speechless, "I want to know what why I saw what I saw, how I made it, and ... if I can talk to the person I saw." The silver-eyed girl looked up at him with determination, "Please, help me control my power."

Iskandar then took a couple of steps closer to the silver-eyed girl, "That's the spirit, Young Rose." He said as he patted Ruby on the back, but each hit left her slightly breathless, "I accept you as my student. But for now, rest up. I will need to readjust my lesson plan." He said as he stopped patting her back, placing his hand on his chin, "You seem a bit too young for the drink I have procured."

"Wha?" Ruby said as Iskandar turned to Astolfo.

"And you, I would assume you will be aiding the Young Rose on her training?" The king of conquerors asked, "You have shown potential at this academy, but have been lacking as of late."

"Yep," Astolfo said as he scratched the back of his head, "I took a pretty heavy loss there. Knowing Marie, she'll want me to get some extra practice anyway." He then looked over to Ruby with a smile on his face, "Besides, I wouldn't miss all the awesome stuff Ruby is going to do."

"Excellent!" Iskandar said before breaking out into loud laughter. He then made is way to the exit, "Our lessons will begin the day after tomorrow." He then ducked slightly as he started to close the door behind him, "Rest until then, that is my advice." The King of Conquerors closed the door behind him, leading to Astolfo letting out a sigh.

"Boy, he's more passionate than usual," The svelte paladin commented before looking to Ruby, "Normally, wouldn't take on students like us."

"What does that mean?" Ruby said before another question came to her mind, "Wait, where are Cinder and Archer?"

"Oh, them," Astolfo respond, "They're in a medical room on the other side of the campus."

 _Cinder._

In a medical wing on the other side of the campus, Cinder sat in a chair as Caren stood in front of her. Around Cinder's neck was a line of bandages. The medical professor was adjusting an eyepatch that was placed over the black-haired archer's left eye. The eyepatch was black with a light blue symbol on it that seemed to glow, "This you heal the blood vessel so long as you keep it on all day. Same for the wound on your neck." Caren said as she put her hands in her pocket, "Do that and it should look fine by the morning." She then turned around to see Archer leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, glaring at Cinder. Next to him was Mercury, who looked over to the silver-haired man in slight worry, "I'm sensing a bit of drama here." Caren said before she started to walk near the door, "I'll just get out now before this gets bloody." She said before opening the door, "Maybe then I'll have a more interesting subject." She said under her breath before closing the door behind her.

A silence fell over the group as Mercury watched his team leader stare down Archer, the two remained unblinking. The gray-haired assassin then broke the silence, "Okay, what happened?" Mercury said but was met with silence, "Did you two lose your fight."

"No," Archer answered, "But Cinder here is not exactly a gracious winner. Especially when it comes to someone acquiring a power before she has."

"I never claimed to one," Cinder responded, her voice slighting scratchy before feeling the wound on her throat. She cleared her throat before continuing, "But, I'll admit I lost my temper upon discovering that girl's…power." She said with disdain to the last words of her sentence.

"Lost your temper!?" Archer said as he uncrossed his arms, "You were about to kill Ruby, just because you were wrong about her having powers. Powers you wanted." He said as Cinder gritted her teeth, "Why do you hate her so much."

"Because I hate people like her!" Cinder shouted back, causing Archer to go silent, "People like that, who achieve power because of random chance or genetic advantages makes me sick." Her first began to shake as she continues, "It is not earned, it is not strived for, it is just given to people undeserving of it. Why should they be recognized, when others work twice as hard. Even then, they know they can never match the prodigies born for greatness." Her volume increased as Mercury tried to backup slowing, while Archer stood his ground, "If you discover your abilities by chance, they were not your powers to being with. If they were given to you, I can take them away!" She said as she stood up, walking over to Archer, "That whole silver eyes legend started as people who achieved power on their own. And this girl thinks she can get it because her mother had it. It is not her power, it never was, and never will be!" She said standing in front of Archer, glaring at him. Mercury had a look of worry as another silence fell over the area.

In breaking the silence, Archer spoke up, "That doesn't give you the right to take her life, just because you don't like how she got it." he said in a definite voice, but Cinder didn't respond. He then sighed as he closed his eyes, "I guess will need to teach you some self-control before we advance your training."

"Wait," Cinder said as she tilted her head to the left, "You still plan on teaching me?"

"Well, I have to keep a closer eye on you now." Archer said as he opened his eyes, a slight smile on his face, "Besides, my mother like you too much for my own wellbeing." His comment caused Cinder to form a slight smile, "However," He said as the smile slightly faded, "If you do something of this nature again, it won't be Kiritsugu you have to worry about."

A slight smiled formed on her face, "Understood," Cinder said with a nod. She then looked over to Mercury, who was stunned speechless, "Now then, what is it you wanted to tell us."

"I..uh," Mercury said before clearing his throat, "I got a call from Emerald. She wanted me to tell you that she and Neo will be back by tonight for classes in the morning." He said before walking over to the door, "Right now, I have to go to another combat class with a teacher." He then looked at his scroll and sighed, "And it looks like I'm a little late."

"Who is the teacher?" Archer asked.

"Her name is Bazett," Mercury responded as he looked at his scroll, "She said I wasn't in her class yesterday and she wanted to make up that with a mandatory private lesson." He then looked up at this scroll to see Archer with a look of horror on his face, "What is it?"

"N-nothing," Archer said as a line of sweat formed down his face. "Just so you know, your new legs were enhanced a lot more than the previous ones."

"Yeah thanks," Mercury said in a confused voice. Suddenly, his mind began to put things together, "Wait, why are you saying that right before I'm about to fight a teacher," He said as a line of sweat formed on his face now, "She's a teacher! She wouldn't break my legs! Would she?"

"I fought with her already," Cinder added, "Why are you acting so scared?"

"You fought her in a good mood. We were on time. And, she had already had a match with other students" Archer said to Cinder before turning back to Mercury, "If you're late, she won't be happy."

"Well, then I'll skip class!" Mercury responded, "I am sick and tired of getting my legs blasted off!"

"You don't realize," Archer said in a panicked voice, "She is even harsher on the students that skip her class. She will find you." His last comment caused Mercury to take a step back in fear.

"Well, you best prove yourself to this teacher," Cinder said as she walked past him to the door, "We'll watch you from the sideline, giving you moral support."

Mercury took a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling before responding, "Okay," He said as a line of sweat ran down his face, "But no filming unless I'm winning!" He said as he took charge and walked out the room.

A few seconds later, Cinder looked back to Archer with a smirk on her face, "He's going to get his legs broken off again." She said once she knew her teammate was far enough away not to hear.

"Oh, Bazett will break more than his legs." Archer said as he followed her out, "But, maybe the new set will be stronger than I thought."

 _Pyrrha._

On the walkway atop the west side wall of the academy, Pyrrha followed Vlad. The two walked in silence as the blond lancer looked out over to the plains of Apocrypha. The red-haired warrior looked at him in confusion, "Uhh Professor?" She asked, "Why did you want to see me?"

"Pyrrha Nikos," Vlad said before turning back towards her, "How do you wish to be remembered?"

"Excuse me," She asked, but his response was simply staring down at her, "Uhh, I guess I would want to be recognized as a great huntress. One who had saved many lives in the fight against Grimm."

"I see," Vlad responded, "So, you don't wish to be the best huntress in all of Vale?"

"Wha- I." Pyrrha said as she saw Vlad glare down at her, "I…I just don't have that as a goal." She said as Vlad raised an eyebrow, "My friends, especially Jaune and Ruby, they want to be the best. But for me, I'm content with being a person who can help other archive greater things."

"Yes, and that is why those two are the team leaders," Vlad responded, causing the red-haired warrior to look at him in slight offence, "It is okay to want other achieve great things," His expression then changed to one of slight disappointment, "But, you should not hold yourself back because you want others to keep up."

"But," Pyrrha responded, "I-"

Suddenly, Vlad interrupted her, "You have had many opportunities to prove yourself. But, you always try to slow yourself down so others can catch up to you."

"Are you saying I should leave my friends behind," Pyrrha said in a slightly enraged voice, "That they are holding me back because that's not true!"

"I did not say that they are holding you behind. I said you are holding yourself back." Vlad responded in a calm voice, "You are on another level than the students at Vale. I could say you may surpass even their strongest hunters in combat."

"I don't see myself like that." Pyrrha responded, her anger rising, "I'm not some egotistical bully who thinks he is better than everyone else."

"Someone like Gilgamesh," The blond lancer said, causing her to go silent, "I learned that you fought him before you had partaken in my class. Your duel did not result in a victory. Then, for all intent and purposes, you lost to his friend Enkidu in my class." His comments started to cause Pyrrha to grit her teeth, having a grin form on Vlad's face, "At Vale, you were the best. But here, you are not as above others as you thought. While your stats are high, you stop yourself from your true potential."

"Professor," Pyrrha said as took a deep breath, "What is your point telling me this?"

"My point is I hate seeing wasted potential," Vlad responded, causing Pyrrha angry to change to misunderstanding, "You were not advancing at Vale at the rate someone of your skill should be. It is because Vale is not the environment for someone like you to grow."

"I'm not leaving my friends." Pyrrha responded before turning around, "Good day Professor." She as she walked away.

"Again, you misheard me." Vlad responded, but Pyrrha still walked, "I'm not saying to abandon them, but stop holding their hands. Instead, give them someone to look up to," Now, the red-haired warrior stopped, "Watching over then will not help them become better, your aid will only take them so far before they start affecting your performance." She then turned back around as Vlad was walking towards her, "But, push yourself forward, and let them look up to you as the goal to better themselves. Their improvement may not be as notable over time, but they will not need to lean on you in the future. The will forge their own path as you have forged yours." He stopped as he was in front of the red-haired warrior, "You see Pyrrha Nikos, I wish for you to see the champion you can become if you simply focus on yourself for once."

"But at Beacon, people already saw me as that!" Pyrrha responded, "Nobody would talk to me because they thought I was too above them, except my friends."

"That was Beacon," Vlad said before stretching out his arms, "This is Chaldea, where many kings, queens, and champions are formed." He said as he smiled, "You have friends as a student, but as the future Huntress, you were alone at Vale. Here, you can grow your skills to become a legend." He then put his left arm down as he placed his right arm on his chest, slightly bowing, "And as a member of the Lancer class, I wish to teach you what that truly means."

"I," Pyrrha said as she looked at Vlad, but she could not articulate another word.

"Now, ask you one last question," The blond lancer said as he moved his right arm off his chest, "What do you wish to be remembered as?"

"I…I," Pyrrha said as she struggled to respond. Suddenly, her mind went back to her recent battles, the words the King of Heroes spoke to her before his victory. her eyes filled with resolve as she clenched her fists, "I want to be remembered as the huntress that could win any battle, no matter who or what it was against." She said with Vlad grinning, "I want to prove that I can match anyone in combat and will not stand down." She said as she glared up at her, "That is what I want to be remembered as."

"Good," Vlad said before clearing his throat, "Now, we'll begin your training soon." He had a slight chuckle before turning around, "I expect great things from you, Pyrrha Nikos."

 _Mercury._

A few minutes later, Mercury met Bazett in the arena training ground. In the front row stands were Cinder and Archer, both looking on with their arms crossed. Mercury stood in a fighting stance as he glared at his opponent, "She doesn't look that tough. I mean, I don't see her weapon." He thought right before the professional huntress cracked her knuckles. She then took up a fighting stance as Mercury swallowed his saliva.

"Come at me now," Bazett said, her gaze stone cold. Mercury gritted his teeth before rushing forward, using the blast of wind from his ankle gauntlets to propel himself forward at high speed. However, once he was within arm's reach, Bazett unleashed a lighting quick right cross under the gray-haired throat. The force of the hit halted his movements immediately, his eyes almost popping out of his head. Rapidly, Bazett followed up with a left-right combo of punches to Mercury's gut. After she was done, Mercury held his stomach in pain, gasping for air. Suddenly, Bazett stretched out her arms to her sides, making a fist in each hand. She then crashed both fists into the right and left sides of Mercury's head at the same time, like a type of clamp. Before Mercury could even know pain, Bazett jumped back, picking up the gray-haired assassin by the grip of her fists. She extended her right knee in midair, smashing Mercury's face into it as she landed. The force of the hit knocked Mercury out of her grip, sending him into the air again before he landed on his back.

"Ouch," Archer said in empathy Cinder as winced in pain, "That hurt to watch."

The black-haired archer looked over to see Mercury groaning in pain as his nose began to bleed, noticed it also bent in a wrong direction, "He should play dead at this point."

"Nope," Archer responded as Bazett grabbed his right leg with her left hand, "She can tell when they're faking." He said before the professional huntress picked up Mercury and slammed him into the ground on his face. The gray-haired assassin whaled in pain as Bazett continued to bash him against the ground. She then tossed him across the arena, causing him to roll on his side before coming to a halt.

Mercury gasped as voice became weak, "Why does this happen to me?" He said to himself as he tied to push himself up, coughing before he even got to one knee, "What did I do to deserve this?" He said before getting on two legs, glaring at Bazett walking towards him, "But, you know what, all of that ends now!" He said before clenching his fists. Right as Bazett was a couple of feet away, Mercury jumped forwards, trying to connect with a left spin kick.

However, Bazett caught his leg by the ankle with her left hand. Mercury tried to pull his leg free, but it was all in vain. His eyes widened as the professional huntress raised her right elbow as positioned her right leg. She then thrust her arms down at the same high speed she raised her right knee. The two crashed into Mercury's left prosthetic leg, smashing it to pieces and a large chunk of metal that was his foot. She still held onto a large chunk of the lower half, while Mercury fell back on the ground hyperventilating as he looked where his left leg used to be, "Oh, you seem to have prosthetic limbs." Bazett commented.

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT ALREADY!?" Mercury shouted back.

"If you had told me, I would not have been so harsh on your tardiness," Bazett said as she explained the broken leg, "They seemed to have been infused with some enhancement magic. But, the person seems to have done a rather poor job."

"Hey," Archer commented in irritation, "False limbs aren't exactly an easy thing to trace."

"Regardless," Bazett said as she tossed the broken leg aside, "This will be practice for the two of you. One will improve his combat abilities. While the other improves his ability to create false limbs." She then started to walk away from Mercury and out of the arena, "I will see the both of you in a future combat class." She said just before exiting.

Archer sighed before standing up, "I'll go get the other piece. Maybe I can see what caused it to break and fix it in the next pair." He said before jumping into the arena.

Cinder smiled as she leans over, looking at Mercury prop himself against the wall to aid in standing, "Look on the bright side," She said with the gray-haired assassin looking at her in a mix of confusion and anger, "At least one leg still works."

"Yeah, that's the bright side," Mercury said before gripping his nose with his left hand, holding it between his thumb and index finger. He then twisted and thrust his hand, causing a slight carking sound, "Do me favor Cinder," He said sincerely with his boss listening, "Don't tell Emerald about this?"

 **AN: There you go, you see the start to a lot of the master-student relationships. Now what I showed for Ruby's change in skill makes a bit more sense when you think about Iskandar being her mentor. He may not have silver eyes, but that detail will be explained as more is revealed over time. Also, I would say that the** **Ionioi Hetairoi is my favorite Noble Phantasm, if you want to tell me yours, I would love to hear it. Archer doesn't give up on Cinder just yet. Her speech on power is in a defying fate way that speaks to his character and ideals a lot, but this is her last straw. And Vlad will be teaching Pyrrha in combat. Something I wanted to do with her character here is have her become more strong-willed and learning some new skills to make herself a better fighter. She is still a nice person at heart, but I wanted to give her level determination I felt the show never gave. And finally, Bazett went Legend style on Mercury at the end. I swear, I don't have a grudge against his character, but it is always fun to write him getting his legs broken. Now, the next chapter will deal with evidence of the first major antagonist in this story, so be ready for that.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	27. Chapter 25 - The Calm Before

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. We get a lot of buildup in this chapter, a lot of character get shown off, and a certain person makes his official appearance. I just want to also say thankyou for all the amazing support on this story. It hit just over 200 followers a few days ago, making it my most followed story. I am also thankful for the Tv Tropes page, which also just made a Recap section if you wanted to catch up on the story. I'm also going back and editing a lot of the grammar of my older chapters. Overall, I am super grateful for all the support and kind words. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 25 – The Calm Before**

 _Glynda._

In the nearby town, Glynda walked down the stone street with a smile on her face. Leading her was a woman of similar age with long, light blue hair that matched her eyes. She wore an indigo cutoff jacket over a black shirt. Her long, buttoned-down skirt covered most of her leg while she wore brown, high heel boots. Out her hair, Glynda noticed the person's ear were slightly pointed. The person was also humming a tone as she walked holding a bag of groceries, "Thank you for showing me around town Medea." Glynda said as she walked, "I had hoped to do so yesterday, but could not find anyone."

"It's no problem," Medea responded, "As Head of Recourses and Academy Magic Bylaws, it is very rare for me get away from the paperwork of day to day operations."

"I see," Glynda commented, "You must work very closely with the headmaster."

"Of course," Medea responded before her smile turned slightly sorrowful, "But, I would rather be working with my husband." She then turned back to Glynda as they walked, her expression changed to slight annoyance, "During this whole exchange program, it was my son-in-law that convinced him to travel to another kingdom as a guest teacher. Saying he should see the world before it's too late."

"Well, I think that is a perfectly good reason," Glynda responded.

Medea scowled as she looked back at the professor from Beacon. She then looked over at Glynda's hands, noticing something not there., "Tell me, are you married?" the head of resources responded.

"No," Glynda responded with a sigh, adjusting her glasses, "When I started to focus more on becoming a huntress and then a teacher, I had to give up the prospects of building a relationship with someone in that way."

"In that way?" Medea responded.

"I cherish the relationships I have made between my friends and colleagues," Glynda responded as a slight smile formed, "While none are romantic, it is enough for me."

Medea went silent as the two towards as large temple surrounded by a few trees. The shrine was atop a small amount of land, accessible but stone stepping path. As Glynda walked up the stone steps, she had a puzzled look on her face, "Are you okay," Medea asked, "You're wondering why this architecture is very different to what you had seen so far?"

"Yes," Glynda responded, "This temple, I'm assuming it is one of Apocrypha eldest landmarks." She then looked over to see a large wooden gate with a tiled roof, surrounded by a flat stone wall, "If I had to guess, this landmark was the last standing monument from the town before remodeling."

"Correct. My family may live here, but it's considered a landmark," Medea said in an impressed voice, "You seem to have a very astute attention to detail."

"Thank you," Glynda said as they walked to the end of the stairs and passed through the gate. However, as she walked a few steps further, she felt an odd pressure. The professor from Beacon stopped and turned to her left towards the back of the wall. Medea then stopped to look also, but her expression changed to one of annoyance.

Leaning against the wall was a man in a purple and pink gi. His hair was purple tied in a long ponytail. Resting on his back was a katana with no handguard but was nearly as long as his body. His arms were resting the sleeves of his gi as he had a slight smirk. While his eyes where closed, he opened his right one to look over at Glynda, "Astute indeed." The man in the purple-haired samurai said, "She was able to sense my presence."

"And you are," Glynda asked with Medea sighing.

"He is Sasaki Kojiro, a guard for this temple." Medea said as walked back to Glynda, "Since this is a landmark, someone has to be assigned to protect it at all times. Due to often being shorthanded, Sasaki is here as the sole protector with no rotation of shifts."

"I don't mind." Sasaki said as had both eyes closed now, "I get to sit at the edge of the stairs. Listen to the birds in the morning and gaze at the broken moon at night." He then opened his eyes to look over at Glynda, "It is such a beautiful sight to behold."

"I see," Glynda said with a deadpan expression before adjusting her glasses, "Well, it was nice talking to you." She said before turning around and walking towards the temple entrance.

As she left, Sasaki raised an eyebrow before glancing to Medea, who was giggling, "Your new friends seem to be immune to my charm."

"Maybe you should work on your charm by not standing in shadows when greeting new people." Medea commented.

"Maybe," The purple haired samurai said as he shrugged as he closed his eyes again, "In any case, I'll return to my duty." He said before walking over to the end of the stone steps, sitting down. He then opened his eyes as he looked up at the trees, the leaves blowing in the wind, "Such a peaceful day, it is good to treasure moments like this while they last." He said as Medea sighed before following Glynda into the temple.

 _Weiss._

In the middle of a classroom, Weiss sat next to Marie. The heiress watched as the idol queen patted the back of Nero, whose head was on the desk as she laid in a puddle of tears, "There there." Marie said, "It's really not that big of a deal. Rank A is still very commendable."

"You don't get it," Nero said as she continued to cry a river of tears, "How can I get attractive men to notice me without my rose petals being the highest rank possible."

"...Wait," Marie commented, "I thought you meant the skill was for nobility?"

"Plus, Ruby's fifteen…and an airhead," Weiss added on, "You don't have to worry ab-"

"That's it," Nero said as she stood up out of her seat, "I know what I must do,"

"…Is she even listening to us," Weiss whispered to Marie, who shrugged in confusion.

"It's simple," Nero said as she crossed her arms and closed her eye, "If I beat Ruby Rose in a duel, one that only the highest members at this academy can participate in, her skill will lower and mine will Rank up to EX!" She then nodded to herself as she made a cute grunting sound, "Umu, it's full proof." She then opened her eyes to look over to Marie, who had a slightly shook look on her face, "Don't you agree"

"Uhhhh, that may work," Marie said in an uncertain voice.

"And what type of match did you have in mind?" Weiss commented.

"Oh, I know a perfect one," Nero said with an evil giggle, "Just you wait, Ruby Rose. In time, I will regain my status as the true Empress of Roses." She then giggled a bit loud.

"Ahem," Nero looked to see a depraved beautiful woman in the front of the class with an annoyed expression. The woman had unbelievable long brown hair that touched the floor. Her ears were pointed and reached out a few inches horizontal. She wore a large black dress with a crinkled bottom and neck guard with a black feathered adornment behind her head. Her arms were on her hips as she glared at Nero, "Would you mind sitting down and paying attention?"

"Y-yes Professor Semiramis," Nero said as she sat down, Semiramis still glared at her for another second before turning back to the chalkboard. The depraved beauty began to draw odd symbols in the shape of circles.

Weiss leaned over to Marie to whisper, "So, this class is called Rudimentary Magic."

"Yes, a lot of this may be new to you since your used to the different terminology." Marie said with a smile, "Semiramis teaches people outside of the Caster class how to use magic to perform a different ability. She is an expert in it since she learned all of this while being an Assassin class."

"Yeah," Nero added on, "But that means most people in the Caster class don't have to take her lessons." She then crossed her arms as she had formed on her face, "That fox thinks she so smart." She said under her breath.

"What can she teach non-casters to do then?" The heiress asked.

"It depends on the students," Maria responded, "She teaches elemental magic, poison contrition, and some summoning abilities."

"Summoning abilities!" Weiss responded in a louder voice, causing Semiramis lose her focus as her chalk snapped in half. The depraved beauty turned towards the heiress, who had stood up, "I'm sorry Professor." Weiss responded, "If it's okay as a punishment, I'll gladly take double homework." Her comment caused Semiramis to have a look of confusion, as well as Marie and Nero, "If also possible, I would like to meet after class to discuss some things."

"Oh," Semiramis said as she smiled, "I forgot you are from the Schnee family." She said before looking back to the chalkboard, "To you, a lot of this is magic is familiar with your terminology of dust and semblances." She then turned back to the heiress with a sinister smile, "But, you want to learn more than what your family offered you back home." The depraved beauty said with Wiess giving a single nod, "Very well, my favorite students are those how never satisfied with the bare minimum."

"Thank you," Weiss said as she sat back down.

"Weiss, what gives?" Nero commented, "I thought people from your family could do things like summoning from near birth."

Weiss sighed before replying, "Not everyone," She said as Nero and Maire went silent, "I can do a lot of my things with my Glyphs, but summoning is the thing I just can't. And ironically, it's the thing I want to do the most to prove to my family that I am a Schnee." She then turned back to Nero, "Just like your pride for roses, my pride is in my abilities to live up to my family name." She said with Nero giving a slight smile, "Except, my reasoning for it isn't dumb."

"Hey!" Nero angerly responded, causing Semiramis to clear her throat again.

"Nero!" The depraved beauty responded, "Would you like double homework also?"

"N-no professor!" Nero responded, "I'll be quiet." She said with Marie giggling.

The heiress then turned over to idol queen, "I think both are good things to have pride in." Marie said with a smile, "And I hope you each achieve your dreams the way you want to." She said with Weiss smiling before she focused on the symbols Semiramis was drawing.

 _Kiritsugu._

At the edge of the forest, Kiritsugu walked down a curved dirt path surrounded by trees. Accompanying him was Kirei, with his arms behind his back. The two walked down the path in silence for a while, until the head of the church spoke up, "You got the call from the headmaster as well," She said as he closed his eyes, "Truly, Apocrypha has lost one of its most noble heroic spriest."

"You don't have to reminded, and we don't know if he's dead until we find the body," Kiritsugu responded, "Zhuge Liang informed me, wanting to keep this information confidential until the investigation has gathered more of an idea of what happened to him."

"That is why you made this team up just the two of us, the necromancer, and that odd advisor of the headmaster." Kirei responded before having a slight smiling, opening only his right eye to look over to the head of special operations, "Funny, it is almost like old times when we were on the same team."

"This in no time for reminiscing," Kiritsugu replied a slight sighed in his voice. He then looked over to see Sisigou standing in the middle of the road, "We're here."

"I keep the road closed off like you instructed." The necromancer said looking to Kiritsugu, "I also did a sweep of the area for any signs of magical energy residue or incantations marks, but found nothing."

"What of any Grimm?" Kirei responded, but Shishigou responded with a shaking head.

"Lead the way to the scene," Kiritsugu said with Shishigou nodding before the three walked down the road.

"Even though civilians aren't advice to go into the forest alone, a woman wanted to meet Siegfried. Hoping to meet him halfway to ask for priority on a favor." Sisigou said as they walked, "That's when she found this and ran the other direction. Placing a call into the Academy after the town cleared her of not being the culprit." They then looked to the right of the road to see a large blood pool in the center of the road. Medium sized chunks of metal and cloth were floating in the pool Nearby trees were damaged as if something had crashed into them. A large rock was on the on the right side of the road a large bloodstain on its surface. Both Kiritsugu and Kirei had a stern expression as they examined the scene, "We didn't find a body, but with this much blood-"

"It's not wise to rush to conclusions." A fourth man interrupted in a clam, yet certain voice. The voice came from above, the three turned to a tree to see a young man with short, dark blue hair that was combed back. He was wearing a white shirt under a black vest and pants, sitting on a branch with his right hand on his chin. Around his abdomen was some metal contraption, but it didn't seem to impede his movement, "Siegfried is known for sustain mortal wounds in combat. Wounds the have yielded far more blood than this, yet he had managed to crawl his way back to life before." the analyzer said before jumping down from the branch.

Sisigou sighed before turning to Kiritsugu "As you can see, Sherlock Homes, was the here first." He then turned back to the analyzer, crossing his arms, "However, I have no idea why he was in the tree just now."

"It was a better angle to view the crime scene," Sherlock said walking over to the large rock, seeing the blood splattered, noticing strands of hair in the blood. "It is more effective to see the big picture before you fully go into depth into the subject matter," Upon taking a stand out, he pinched it with his right thumb and index finger. Then ran his finger through the length of the hair, cleaning the blood off and revealing a greyish coloring, "Now, it seems our old friend seems to have had his head smashed against this rock." He said he looked back at the blood stain on the boulder, "Based on the damage, our assailant attempted multiple times to crack Siegfried's head like an egg. Four times by the size of the cracks in the rock."

"Four times," Kirei commented, "If that were the case, he would have been dead. Or, at the very least, a severe concussion."

"If true, that would make this the end of the confrontation," Sherlock said as he took out a white cloth to clean his hand. He then looked over to the damaged tree, walking over and leaning around it as he examined the bark, "Considering the damaged bark here, it seems to have been done by sword," He then turned back to the head of special operations, "But not any sword, one that would have been held by two hands."

"One like his own sword, Balmung," Kiritsugu responded, "So, he tried to fight back his attacker-"

"Good deduction," Sherlock responded, "But, you rushed to conclusions." He said before turning back to the damaged tree, "Siegfried is an excellent swordsman, one who would not swing his sword at a tree of this size. It would easily get caught in the thick of the base. And it seems like that was the case." He said as he looked at the undamaged part of the tree, noticing a trail of blood on the bark. The trail seemed to have started at the damaged section, then ran down near the roots, "The sword looks to have been stuck in the bark for some time, possibly a minute or two," He then pointed to the blood, "This blood is not ulterior spry, it's a trail is due to the blood on the blade dripping into the bark." He then turned back to Kiritsugu, how had a slightly befuddled look, "From that, I believe it was not our heroic friend, but his attacker that left this mark." The analyzer then looked to the large pool of blood on the ground, noticing a trail leading to the tree, "Which also would mean this pool of blood was created near the start of the confrontation."

"He would have been able to fight long if he lost this much blood at the start," Kirei asked as Shishigou reached into his right back pocket.

Sherlock went silent as he places his right hand on his chin, staring at the pool. He then looked over to see Shishigou take out a packet of cigarettes. He took out one for himself before offering one to Kiritsugu, but he shook his head in decline, "Oh, that would work."

"What?" Sisigou responded as Sherlock held out his left hand in an offering stance, "You want a smoke?"

"No, simply visualizing the scene." Sherlock responded, "A blood pool like that can only be created of that size of either two wounds. A large gash, one that would leave a chunk of the body in the pool also. At the other would have been an exposed vail being slits, like the neck or wrists." He then turned back to the pool of blood, looking at the piece of metal and cloth, "And those fragments seem to match the armor Siegfried wears to protect his wrists, but it didn't seem to protect him well enough this time."

"I see," Kirei commented, "So, he was asking for something from the person. But what he got was assaulted in the process."

"Very close," Sherlock said with Kirei rising an eyebrow, "He was asking for something back." He then walked towards the group of three with his right hand on his chin, "I douse that the _something back_ was his own sword." He said turning to point at the blood pool, "He was then attacked in the process of asking for it back, unable to react in time to defend." The analyzer then pointed to the damaged tree, "He could only dodge as his attacker tried to slash him again. So, our old friend used the tree to catch the blade." He then pointed his hand to point at the rock, "However, his attacker proved more resilient. Jumping Siegfried and bashing his skull against the rock until the conflict was over." He then turned back to the group of three, "That seems to have been the bulk of the scene here."

"That still leaves a few things unanswered." Shishigou asked, "Like why he would give his sword to his attacker?"

"Ah, you didn't put it together yet," Sherlock commented, "Our attacker was a student. Or at least, did his or her best to imitate one." He crossed his arms as he continued, looking back to the crime scene, "As I mentioned, the sword swings were not one of an experienced fighter. Not only that, the choice of attack is impromptu and highly aggressive, like a child throwing a tantrum. These are things only an inexperienced fighter would do to win against an opponent as strong as Siegfried. They are not at as low of a skill level to be a common thief but might match to a student in their early years of training." Sherlock then turned back to the head of special operations, "I can conclude that our old friend was tricked by someone mimicking a student, someone who wanted to see his weapon and hold it for a second. Siegfried allowed this, as is his nature to give the students a person of inspiration. However, in asking for it back,…well, we know the rest."

"I see your path of logic" Kiritsugu commented, "I assumed that a cuprite would have been one of these new transfers." He said as Sherlock was about, to speak up, but Kiritsugu interrupted in an irritated voice, "However, my research shows none of them were in this area at the time Siegfried was assumed to be attacked. The group Drake took on her trip did not pass through this section of the forest. Gawain's class only passed over the edge of the forest in this area, and all of his students made it back without injury." He then glanced over at the head of the church, "And from our conversation yesterday, the people of interest we discussed have alibis to the time of this assault."

"I heard," Kirei commented with a slight smile, "One spent a good amount of time at your home, while the other was sent back to the infirmary." His smile soon faded, "Perhaps this is the work of that other foe we discussed."

"No," Kiritsugu responded, "None of those were in this area that I covered." He then turned back to Sherlock and Shishigou, "The last question I have is where the body is?"

"I wasn't able to locate it in the area," The necromancer commented, "But if a Grimm ate his corpse, it's not like I could find it afterward."

"I doubt he was killed, but rather was taken," Sherlock responded, "Our attacker was blunt, to say the least, and seemed to only want his sword. However, if that was all true, he would have left the body here. There are no signs of a Grimm having a feast." He then placed his right hand on his chin, "It may have been a third person, one working with our attacker, who ordered him to bring back the body. But the where and who still alludes us."

Kiritsugu then sighed as turned to the group, "Well, we appear to be at a dead end. My call now is to close this path to the town. However, they still need someone to head there to defend oncoming Grimm attacks." He then took out his scroll, "If they need to take a long way around, horseback will compensate for the lost time. Gawain and Lancelot already trained with new students in riding, that class will move over to defend the town Siegfried was heading towards. This isn't a call I one-hundred percent like, but it will be our best choice for situation."

"The church will keep this matter concealed," Kirei commented, "Siegfried will be simply listed as missing in action until more details are discovered." He then looked back to the necromancer and the analyzer, "The two of you will look into this investigation further, report to me with whatever you find that is relevant."

"Understood," Sherlock said with a slight bow.

"Rodger," Sisigou responded as placed the cigarette in his mouth. He then took out a lighter from his back pocket, "This has been a rough couple of days." He said right before lighting the cigarette.

 _?_

In a seeming black void in a cavern, Siegfried laid on his stomach. On the ground was a large crimson symbol, one that covered the area of Siegfried's body. His right arm had a large gash across it over the wrist and forearm. The right side of his head was stained with blood. Only his left eye was open as he breathed heavily. He tried to push himself up with his left arm, but a sudden surge of red electricity enveloped his body. Siegfried screamed before falling back on the ground, his breathing weak.

Just before his left eye began to close, a male voice called to him, "Ah, poor guy." While he could not lift his head, Siegfried looked to see a pair of black shoes, indicating some was standing in front of him, "Don't worry, it will be over soon. Then, you won't even recognize yourself." Siegfried tried to look up but lacked the strength to see past the person's black jeans, "Hey!" The person said in an aggressive voice as he knelt. Siegfried then felt some grab the hair on the top of his head, yanking him up a few inches, "Look at me when I talk to you!"

Siegfried looked to see a young man wearing black armor chest plate over a slightly black her hoody. While his right hand held on the Siegfried's head, in the left was a long two-handed sword. The hood was up and covered most of his face, but it appeared to be a person in his teenage years. However, in the flash of the crimson light, Siegfried's eye focused on the person, "Now, I remember," He said in a weak voice, "You were in the class just before I left. You sat next to Jeanne." At his last word, the hooded boy began to giggle.

"Oh, you have me mistaken for some else," The hooded person responded with a sinister smile, stabbing the ground with the sword, "Take a good close look," he said as he moved his right hand over the hood, pulling it off. As he revealed his face, the person resembled that of the male Arc. However, his skin was paler, and his hair was more desaturated in color, almost white. His eye color was also a golden yellow, glaring down at Siegfried with a sinister smile, "I'm nothing like that idiot, but you can call me his…Alter."

"Alter?" Siegfried questioned as the evil Arc dropped his head, "What does that-" Suddenly, the crimson symbol began to glow, causing Siegfried to scream in agony.

"Nonono." Alter Jaune said as he waved his index finger, "No questions." He then stood back up, "You see, you need to focus on giving up and letting this magic change you to your new form. I think you'll quite like it." the evil Arc then put his hand back on the two-handed sword, "And don't worry about your prized possession, Balmung. I know I said would only hold it for a second, but I think I will just keep it." He then started to laugh as he turned around, "I'll take good care of it, Hero." Alter Jaune said as he walked away, the sound of Siegfried screaming in the background.

 **AN: There you go, it's the calm before the next Arc. The story will now focus on Gawain's class protecting a nearby town, (To clarify, not the same town Glynda and Ruby were at that is near the Kingdom, a different town that is past the forest). You get the last two servants from the Stay Night series making their debut, interacting with Glynda to show her character a little bit. Weiss shows off her drive to learn summoning here and will seek tutelage from the Assassin of Red. Nero has a plan now to deal with Ruby, but that match won't be for a long time. And Sherlock shows off his Master analyzer skills. Writing the solving of that fight in reverse was fun and a cool way to show the tension in that moment. Siegfried's in a tough situation as Alter Jaune holds his sword Balmung. I have also updated the Rwby Servant Sheets to Include Alter Jaune, but it may show some slight spoilers for what I have planned with him. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	28. Chapter 26 - Unfriendly Altercation

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter. Sorry for the delay, I have been overworked and sick for a while now. This part of the story is also one that has a lot of beats to it, so it takes a lot longer to write out. This chapter focused a lot of Jeanne character and how she thinks, as she is a major player in this arc. The arc really starts going here and will conclude in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day. (Edit: I fixed the spelling error in Jeanne, so it doesn't say Jeanna now)**

 **Chapter 26 – Unfriendly Altercation**

 _Pyrrha._

Outside the east gate to Chaldea Academy, Pyrrha out the entrance towards her friends. She the two Arc siblings talking as Mash was conversing with Gawain and Lancelot. Each person was in their combat gear, with Gawain now wearing a dark green cape as well. Jaune noticed her teammate and waved her over, "Hey Pyrrha," he called in excitement as she smiled, "We have another mission with Professor Gawain. This one is defending a town."

"Really?" Pyrrha commented, "We got a mission like that after being here one day?"

"Well, I guess we really made an impression on Gawain," Jaune said with pride as his sister and Pyrrha giggling, "What, I did a good job riding the horse." His voice turned defensive, "And that fall into the goop was not my fault!"

"It's okay Jaune," Jeanne responded, "You go ready the horses while I talk with Pyrrha for a bit." Jaune sighed before nodding, walking over to the stables. His sister then turned back to the red-haired warrior, "So, how was your talk with Professor Vlad?"

"Oh, he was nice," Pyrrha commented, "I'm going to see him in between class for special training and mentoring."

"That's great," Jeanne replayed with a smile. However, Pyrrha noticed a look of worry in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Pyrrha asked as Jeanna's expression soon changed sorrowful, "Did something happen?"

"…Pyrrha," Jeanne asked in a serious voice, "Did Jaune really get into Beacon?"

"What?" the red-haired warrior responded, a slight stutter in her answer, "O-of Couse he did. Why would you think that?"

Jeanne sighed before as she looked at Pyrrha with a mournful expression, "Well, I looked back at his entrance papers to Beacon. As a Ruler class, I got access to those during this transfer program. And…a lot of his information doesn't add up. Some of his exam-files looked...fake. And his physicals don't match up with what I know about him but are the bare minimum he would need to get into that academy." She then looked down at the ground, "Jaune was so determined when to get into Beacon, but when he finally did, he didn't seem very achieved when I talked with him about it."

"M-maybe he was just embarrassed. I mean, he barely got in at his school and you are in a Class called Ruler here." Pyrrha said with an unconvincing giggle, "I mean, Jaune didn't-"

"Pyrrha," Jeanne interrupted, her eyes narrowing, "I can tell when my brother is hiding something. Also, I can tell you trying to cover it up for him."

"Oh…" Pyrrha sighed as refocused herself, "Look, you know he got into this school. He is one of the top class you can be put in, all be it a very weak one, but still."

"That doesn't matter when he goes back to Beacon," Jeanne angerly responded, causing Pyrrha to take a step back, "These are two different kingdoms that have different rules and guild lines that need to be followed. The rules were made for a reason, so nobody unqualified would get themselves killed."

"So, you want to convince him to stay here with you, just because of a few guild lines" Pyrrha responded, matching the female Arc's anger in tone, "That's not fair to him and the friends he made back in Vale, the ones he brought here so he could show how nice his sister was." She said as Jeanne gritted her teeth, "You're acting really selfish."

"He is my only brother!" Jeanne responded, glaring at Pyrrha, "I cannot live with myself if one day after this program ends and he goes back to Beacon, I get a call from his school telling me he died. And in the back of my mind, I knew I could have prevented it by exposing his lies."

The red-haired warrior glared back at her, "You know he would hate you for that, being a hero is all he wants to be in life. To be remembered in the history books." Pyrrha responded, causing Jeanne to go silent, "He will never forgive you and there is no way any other school would take him in. You would crush his dream forever."

"At least he will still be alive," Jeanne responded before pointing at Pyrrha, "You must not tell him about this. I will talk with him about this after the mission, let him tell me the truth and his side," She then started to walk away from the red-haired warrior, "However, I don't think that will change my stance on this matter."

"I thought you trusted me to look out for him," Pyrrha responded as she glared back, "But, it looks like you don't trust anyone but yourself." Jeanne paused for a second, but then continued to walk away.

A silence then fell between the two as they remained unflinching. Jaune walked back towards the two, his horse from before besides him, "Is everything okay?" He asked as he passed his sister, "We have to get going now if we want to arrive not too long after sunset."

"It's fine Jaune," Jeanne said in a tired as she walked away from the two, heading towards the stable grounds to get her horse.

The male Arc turned to her teammate with a look of confusion, "What did the two of you talk about?"

"Nothing," Pyrrha said as she rubbed her eyes, "Let's just get moving." She said before walking over to the stables. Jaune watched in worry as the red-harried warrior clenched her fists. His horse neighed before he placed his right hand on its neck, calming her down.

Once the group had mounted their horses, Gawain stood in front of the class, looking at Pyrrha and Jaune, "Now then, this is the first defense mission you two from Beacon will see conducted in this kingdom. With it, our job is to intercept and stop a herd of Grimm from attacking a targeted town." He then took out his scroll, "I have sent each of you the map of the area with marking of our plan of attack." As Pyrrha took out her scroll, she saw a bird's eye image of a small town. To the west was the ocean, while not too far south was the forest, "The missions will be done as fallowed. Half of our team will defend the town from the north-east section, while the other half will be inside the town, picking off Grimm that sneak their way past the first group."

"What about the civilians?" Pyrrha asked.

"They were given notices to hide in their homes hours before the attack will start." Gawain responded, "The homes are made strong enough to withstand low-level Grimm, so we need to make sure nothing too powerful is seen in the town." He then held his right hand to his chin, "With that in mind, I will lead the intertown group consisting of Pyrrha and Jeanne." He said with the two girls slightly glaring at one another, "Jaune and Mash will defend the outside area, led by Lancelot." The white-clad knight said the only sound from Lancelot was his breathing as he remained not on a horse.

"Professor Gawain," Jeanne said as she rose her hand, "Is there a way to switch the inner and outer teammates?" her comment caused Jaune to look over to her sister in slight worry, "For instance, allowing me to switch places with Mash."

"No," Gawain responded, "By my accounts, this set up will yield the most success." He then looked over to Mash, "For Mash, she is the perfect person to have on the side defenses." His complement caused the shielder to smile, causing her father to look over at her.

"Well," Pyrrha added on, "Why doesn't Jaune trade places with his sister? The two of us have worked on a few missions like this before, so we have experience."

"No," Gawain responded, "I am sure your teamwork is splendid, but I wish to see how well you and Jeanne work together. Both of you are considered great students in your academy's history. If you were to work together, the potential for greatness is unlimited." He then looked towards then now setting sun, "We have talked for enough about the mission structure, it is time to go." He said before commanding his horse, leading the group down the path towards the edge of the forest. While most of the class traveled by horse, Lancelot ran to keep up with the group. Despite their pace, the black armor knighted easily kept up. As they rode, Gawain looked back at his group, "If you're worried about the difficulty of this mission, it is only a small pack one they would normally send a single heroic spirit to fight." He reassured as Pyrrha and Jeanne still hung their heads low. Jaune was behind the two with a look of worry in his eyes towards them.

As they rode, Jeanne had a realization, "Is this the same town Siegfried was assigned to?" She asked, but Gawain did not hear over the sound of the riding horse. However, Jeanne felt that he did not answer for another reason and remained silent.

 _Jeanne._

Around an hour later, the light of the day turned to an orangish color as the sun set over the horizon, reflecting off the surface of the water of the ocean. Gawain's class was still riding on the edge of the forest but was completely out of sight of the academy. The white clade knight reached into a small satchel attached to the saddle of his horse. He pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked straight ahead, seeing a small town a few kilometers, "We made it in time," As he examined it, the stone paved streets were empty, and the wooden homes seemed to have their windows boarded up. The town was no more than a couple of dozen houses a few boats stationed in the harbor.

"This is one of Apocrypha's only fishing towns." Mash said to Jaune as Gawain continued to check the town, "It supplies the fish the is sold in the nearby markets in our town and in the school's cafeteria."

"Please don't mention food," Jaune said as he had his right arm around his stomach, "I skipped dinner when I heard we had this mission?"

"Why?" Mash inquired.

"Because I thought I would get sick riding a horse this fast with a full stomach," Jaune said before his stomach started to grumble, "Owe…but maybe that was a bad idea." Mash looked at him in slight shock, being able to hear the hunger pains over the horse-riding.

"Well, fighting on an empty stomach is not advantageous," Gawain commented as he examined the area around the town. In the north-east region, he noticed a small dust cloud approaching for a quarter of a mile away. As he examined it more carefully, noticing a few Grimm Beowulf's and Creepers charging towards the town, "However, we seem to have arrived on time and the herd is small then we had predicted."

Suddenly, the sound of a grumbling was heard behind the white-clad knight. He took his eyes away from the binoculars to look over to Jaune. Pyrrha and Jeanna looked to him as well with a look of astonishment. Even Lancelot turned to the male Arc as he ran. However, Jaune looked at his stomach in confusion, "…That wasn't me…" Jaune said as he looked at Gawain in slight worry.

Before anyone could say another word, the gambling sound was heard again. However, the sound was more violent, almost sounding like a muffled roar. The group stopped their horses as they listened for another roar, but intent felt the ground beneath them shake as in a mini earthquake. In the confusion, another much clearer roar was heard forming from the forest. As Jeanna turned to the forest, she saw a flurry of blackbirds fly out of the forest from the trees. A few seconds later, the grounds quakes become more unstable as the horse thrashed and neighed. Suddenly, an explosion was heard in the middle of the forest, creating a large dust cloud. Emerging from the cloud was a gigantic Grimm with a large tail and wings. The monster's head was covered with a bone mask and its body was covered with corroded black scales. Jeanne's eyes widened in fear, as did the rest of the group, "T-that's a Grimm Dragon!" The female Arc said before the gigantic Grimm roared as it flapped its wings, "That classification is supposed to be extinct in this land!"

"Why is it here!?" Jaune responded in panic as he tried to calm his horse. He then looked up at the Dragon Grimm roaring again, its eyes glaring at the town in the distance, "It looks like it is heading for the town!" He said before the Dragon Grimm flapped its wings, answering Jaune question as it headed for the defenseless area.

"Everyone!" Gawain commanded as he turned to the group, "The parameters of the mission have changed." He then pointed up the Grimm Dragon, "This new threat needs to be eliminated forthwith, but the town can't be unprotected. Lancelot and I will deal with the Dragon Grimm, while the rest of you keep the formation we discussed and protect the town."

"But, how are you going to fight that thing!?" Jaune responded. Suddenly, Lancelot yelled like a howling beast before running forward, his body radiating a black aura. The black armored knight glared up at the monstrous Grimm, his red visor glowing. In the middle of his run, he stomped on the ground with his left leg, jettisoning himself into the area as he created a circular creator on the ground. Lancelot extended his arms as he headed towards Dragon Grimm's throat, colliding with it and latching on as the monster screeched. The black armored knight matched the monster's roar in a volume of his own yell as he attempted to tighten his grip. The Grimm Dragon started to descend, crashing back into the thick brush of the forest as the sound of both screaming was heard in the distance, "Oh…" Jaune said as he had a befuddled expression.

"He won't be able to take that thing alone," Gawain said as a line of sweat ran down his face before turning back to the students, "Protect the town!" He ordered before cracking the rains on his white horse and headed into the forest.

"Yes, Sir!" All the students said at the same time as rode towards the town. As they approached the area, Jeanne and Pyrrha watched as Mash and Jaune split off from the group, moving to intercept the oncoming herd of Grimm. The two gritted their teeth as they watched the back of the male Arc, but they soon refocused on as they focused on entering the town.

As they rode through, the two soon noticed three Creeper Grimm in the center of a crossroads. Pyrrha quickly raised her right hand and called her weapon in its rifle form, aimed, and fired three shots. The shots impacted the back of one of the Creepers, causing it to fall to the ground dead. The other two began to scatter, but Pyrrha changed her weapon to its spear form. She threw it while on horseback at one of the Creeps, impaling it in the back of the neck, and causing to fall over motionless. Jeanne locked onto the final Creeper, moving to stand on her horse as it rode. Suddenly, the female Arc jumped into the air, calling her flag in her left hand as she descended towards the Grimm. She aimed the spearheaded end towards the center of the spine of the monster and ran it through the Grimm, stopping it dead in its tracks.

Jeanne pulled her weapon out of the dead creature as she walked over towards Pyrrha. However, the two had a look of horror as they saw what the Creepers had gathered around. In the center of the crossroads was the mangled remains of a woman's body. Her right arm was missing, and chest covered in blood, the look of horror in her eyes as they were devoid of life, "We weren't early," Pyrrha said in a mournful voice. She then looked over to Jeanne kneeling, placing her flag on her side. The female Arc expression remained sorrowful as she placed her right hand over the eyes of the dead woman, closing them as she moved her hand down the face. Jeanne then placed her hands together, closing her eyes, and slightly tilting her head forward as she remained silent. Pyrrha looked on in remorse towards the female Ark, remaining silent also for a few seconds.

As Pyrrha looked over the area, she noticed no more nearby Grimm. However, something did catch her attention, "Hey Jeanne," Pyrrha said as the female Ark stood, looking over to Pyrrha pointing at one of the houses, "I thought the doors were supposed to be shut and people were to hide in their homes." She said as Jeanne locked at the house, "Why is that door opened?" She said as Jeanne had a lock of confusion, assume a Grimm forced its way into the home. However, before she commented, Jeanna noticed the Doorframe was not damaged as if it was opened normally. She walked over to the house as Pyrrha got off her horse.

"They're not supposed to open them unless a Heroic Sprit tells-" Jeanne said as slowly pushed the door more open but cut herself off as her eyes widened in fear. Inside, she saw a man laid prompted against a with a large slash mark across his chest. Not too far from the man was a young male teenager, his body laid on is his face as a large stab wound was through his back. the smell of death filled the room as Jeanna backed up, placing her right hand over her mouth.

Pyrrha walked and looked in the house, her gaze turning horror as she turned back to Jeanne, "What happened in there!?" Pyrrha responded, "Those aren't clawed marks, those are stab wounds." Pyrrha said as Jeanne lowered her right hand, but was slightly hyperventilating, "Jeanne, these people weren't killed by Grimm. They were-"

Suddenly, the two heard the sound an elderly man in the distance. Abruptly, Jeanne ran to the noise without getting back on her horse. Pyrrha ran after her as the two students searched through the town, turning each corner to where they thought the sound came from. The scream was heard again, this time with a cry of pain at the end, causing Jeanne the grit her teeth in worry.

The two then stopped as they turned a certain corner, but their expression changed to turned horror upon what they witnessed. A few meters away, they saw an elderly man with a two-handed sword through his chest. His face had a look of agony as tore rained down his eyes and blood poured out his mouth. The man used the last of his strength to look at the person in front of him, the person still holding onto the sword. It was the young man with black colored outfit and amour, a sinister grin on his face. Pyrrha and Jeanne's eyes widened face resembled that of someone they had just seen not too long ago, "Jaune!?" Both said at the same time right as the person pulled out the sword from the old man.

"Oh…hey there," The person said in a casual voice as the old man fell on his back, bleeding out almost instantly, "I didn't expect to see you two so soon."

"Jaune," Pyrrha said as she tried to walk forward, "What did you do!?"

"Isn't it obvious," The person responded, "I'm making sure I'm remembered."

"What?" Jeanne responded in fear of the answer.

"Yeah," the person responded as he held the two-handed sword in his left hand, resting the blade on his left shoulder. He glanced down at the dead old man, "I was the last thing he saw before dying. He's sure to remember me then."

"You..." Pyrrha said as she tightened her grip on her weapons, "You're not Jaune!"

"Who are you?!" Jeanne said as the person began to giggle, "Answer us!"

"It's just funny that you would mistake me for that Loser." Alter Jaune said as he laughed, wiping a tear from his eyes with his right hand. he then closed his eyes and smiled as Pyrrha and Jeanne had a look of confusion, "Now…" Alter Jaune said in a slightly serious voice, his smile starting to fade into a frown of anger, "I'll kill you for that mistake." He said as he opened his yellow eyes, glaring at Pyrrha.

Alter Jaune rushed to the red-haired warrior. Pyrrha opened fire on her opponent, but only managed to get one shot off. The evil Arc deflected the round with his long sword, raising to strike. Pyrrha changed her stance to a defensive on, wielding her shield to block. She tied to aim her rifle at him, but he grabbed the barrel with his right hand, locking the two in close range. Alter Jaune attempted a heavy downward swing, colliding with the face of the shield. He then readjusted his grip to try a right vertical slash, but Pyrrha managed to block.

The sound of crashing metal was heard as Jaune continued to fail his sword, but no hit got though Pyrrha's defense. However, the rapidness of his attacks left no opening for her. She looked at the sword a focused her gaze on it, causing a blackish aura to appear around it. At that moment, Alter Jaune grinned. He let go of his sword as it hovered in the air. Pyrrha eyes widened as Alter Jaune clenched his left fist. Before she could defend, the evil Arc then punched the red-haired warrior in the throat. Pyrrha gasped for air as the black aura faded around the sword. Alter Jaune regained his weapon and attempted another downward slash.

Pyrrha looked up as the blade fell. She let go of her rifle and jumped back. However, the length of the blade was more than she could escape. The last inch of the blade cared into her upper left thigh, spewing blood as she fell on her knee. She held her right hand to her throat as she tried to breath, "Your polarity trick always made you special." Alter Jaune said as he looked at the blood on his blade before glaring back at Pyrrha, "But, I have worked with you long enough to know when you resort to it in a fight." He said as Pyrrha girted her teeth, her breathing heavy in wheezing sound, "And you need to focus to maintain the polarity. But, it's hard to focus when you can't breathe right." He then tossed Pyrrha's rifle in the air, catching it in his right-hand near the trigger, and aimed at Pyrrha's head, "Now who's the better Hunter?" Alter Jaune said with a smile.

Suddenly, Jeanne rushed him from the right. She struck the rifle with her flag, launching it into the air and landing on a rooftop. The female Arc the readjusted her stance before swinging her flag horizontally. Alter Jaune gritted his teeth as he held his sword in a defensive stance. The flat of the blade collided with the pole of the flag, pushing Alter Jaune back a couple of meters as he skidded on the souls of his shoes. Pyrrha looked up at Jeanne, who had a serious expression, "Thank you…," The red-haired warrior said in a weak voice as she stood up.

Jeanne looked back at her with a slight nod before glaring back at the evil Arc, "You," she said stern voice, "Where did you get that sword?"

"This one?" Alter Jaune said with a smile, gesturing with the weapon, "It's mine now, that all that matters."

"That sword isn't yours." Jeanne responded, "That is Balmung, Siegfried's Noble Phantasm." her grip on her flag tightened as she talked, "Where is he!?" At that moment, Alter Jaune began to laugh again as Jeanne gritted her teeth, "WHERE IS HE!?" she shouted at him.

Alter Jaune smirked as his laughing turned to giggles, "It's not where," he said as he smiled, "It's what." The evil Arc said with Jeanne having a look of confusion, "Now, that's enough talk." He said as he changed to a fighting stance, holding Balmung in his left hand, "It's time to prove who's the better Arc. What do you say, Sis?"

"I am not your sister!" Jeanne responded as she readied her stance with the flag, "You are nothing like my brother!"

"You're right," the evil Arc responded with a smile, "I'm his Alter."

 **AN: And there you go, that is the start to the verses Alter Jaune part of this story. The next chapter will see many different character try to take him down as the teachers have to deal with the Dragon (which if you think about it, you know what that is supposed to be). Since it does bring up the idea, I'm curious who your favorite fate alter character is. If you cannot pick one, who would be a fate character you think should have an official alter form. Personally, I like Mysterious Heroine X Alter, that weapon is so cool. And I would be okay with a Mordred Alter one day, but I will not have one in my story.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	29. Chapter 27 - End of an Arc

**AN: Hey everyone, I have a long chapter for you here. This one is the big battle for these characters. It has a lot of awesome moves and people getting moments to shine in combat. This is a very emotional chapter at points, with a bitter sweet ending. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day**

 **Chapter 27 – End of an Arc**

 _Pyrrha._

Running through the middle of the fishing town, the two Arc's continued to clash weapons. Alter Jaune swung Balmung with ferocity, while Jeanne blocked with her flag. He attempted a horizontal slash, but she ducked the swing. Before the evil Arc could recover, Jeanne strongly placed the bottom end of the flag on the ground. She then tightened her grip on the polearm and flipped her body forward. Her left foot collided with Alter Jaune's chin, sending him flying back a few feet as Jeanne landed back on her feet.

The evil Arc gritted his teeth in anger as he looked up at Jeanne, who had a stoic expression on her face. Suddenly, Alter Jaune began to laugh, "You haven't changed." He said while starting to stand up, propping himself with the sword, "Acting all casual and nice to others. But when a fight starts, you become cold on focused on your opponent." He then glanced over to Pyrrha, whose breathing was still uneasy, but her eyes glaring back at him, "You two are just the same." Suddenly, his laughter stopped as he gritted his teeth, "And I hate how both of you are looking down at me like that!" he then rushed forward toward Jeanne.

Jeanne readies her stance, blocking the evil Arc's oncoming swing. Pyrrha watches on as she looked for an opening, but she glanced back up the roof her rifle landed on. She reaches out her left hand toward it, causing the weapon to become encompassed in a black aura. However, Alter Jaune saw this in the corner of his of his eye. He pushed past Jeanne and ran towards the red-haired warrior, "Oh no you don't." He declared while raising his sword high over his head for a downward swing.

However, Pyrrha quickly changed her focus to Alter Jaune's weapon. Balmung quickly became encompassed in the black aura once it had reached the pinacol of the evil Arc's swing. The sword slid out of his left hand as if it was pulled away, "What!?" Alter Jaune said as he watched his weapon fly away. The then turned back to Pyrrha, who readied her shield. She bashed it across the evil Arc's face before he could defend. Alter Jaune placed his hands on his face as he winced in pain. As he lowered them, he saw his angry eyes glaring at Pyrrha, "Why you-" He was saying until he stopped himself. He heard what sounded like someone jumping.

Turning back, the evil Arc saw Jeanne in the air, reaching for Balmung. Once she grasped it in her right hand, she glared down at Alter Jaune. As she fell towards him, the female Arc reeled back her right arm. Alter Jaune eyes widened as he couldn't dodge in time. Jeanne diagonally slashed down his chest, cutting through his armor his blood gushed from his body. He stood in stunned silence for a second until falling forward. Jeanne moved out of the way as he body hit the ground, creating a pool of blood around them.

Pyrrha walked over to Jeanne, limping as she held her injured leg, "Is he dead?" The red-haired warrior asked, with the female Arc nodding. Pyrrha then looked down at the body, seeing it unmoving, "Who was this guy?"

"I don't know, but we need to tell the others." Jeanne said before looking at Balmung in her hand, her eyes saddened, "How many lives did this 'Alter' end with Siegfried's weapon?" She asked, but Pyrrha didn't respond, "And what did he mean by, 'not where, but what?' What does that mean?"

"I don't know either" Pyrrha responded, "But, it's over now." She said with Jeanne nodding again. She passed Pyrrha Balmung causing a look of confusion. The female Arc then put her hands together as she closed her eyes. Pyrrha had a look of slight anger as she was about to speak up. However, she chooses not to say something on the matter. She looked back at Alter Jaune's body lying motionless in the pool of blood.

Suddenly, Pyrrha noticed his left-hand twitch. She gasped as Alter Jaune lunged forward towards the still unaware Jeanne, "Look out!" Pyrrha said as she dropped Balmung to push Jeanne out of the way.

However, the evil Arc was able to ensnare the red-haired warrior instead, locking her in a tight bearhug. Alter Jaune laughed as he glared at Pyrrha, Jeanna fell on her side as she opened her eyes, in shock of their opponent still standing, "Oh, you want to die first?" he said with a smile

"How?" Pyrrha said as she tried to struggle free, but could not, "How are you alive?"

"You said I had a lot of aura, didn't you?" Alter Jaune said with a sinister smile, "Here is something new I can use it for." His comment caused a look of confusion on Pyrrha and Jeanne's faces. However, they turned to panic as the evil Arc's body sparking with a pinkish lightning. Pyrrha tired again to free herself but could not. Jeanne got up and ran over to the Pyrrha, placing her right hand on her back as her grip on her flag tighten. Suddenly, the two girls became encompassed in a yellow aura just as the aura around Alter Jaune sparked violently, "Boom." He said softly before the light of his body reached pinnacle brightness.

 _Jaune._

Outside the town, Jaune slashed as the last Creeper Grimm approaching. As it failed back in injury, Mash rushed it with her shield. She smashed the monster's bone mask in the force of the impact, causing it to fall over dead. Jaune let out a sigh of relief before turning to Mash, "That's the last of them." He said before looking at the town, "We should back up the others now."

"Right," Mash said with a nod as she walked over to Jaune.

Suddenly, as the two were about to call their horse back to them, a large explosion came from the center of town. The two felt the shockwave before their eyes widened at the mushroom-shaped cloud in the center of town, "Wha-" Jaune said as a line of sweat came down his face, "What just happened!?"

"That's not good," Mash said as Jaune whistled for his horse, quickly mounting it, "Wait, Jaune!" She said before calling her horse and catching up to the male Arc, "You can't rush in like that."

"My sister and teammate are in the town that just exploded!" he responded, "We need to find them and make sure they're safe."

"Jaune…they could be-" Mash said, but soon realized he was not listening, "…You're right, we need to hurry." She said with Jaune nodding.

The two soon reached the center point of the explosion. A few houses were badly damaged, with half the structure in rubble. A large, circular crater was in the center of the road, "Jeanne! Pyrrha!" Jaune began to call along with Mash. They searched the area for any sign of their teammates, "Jeanne! Pyrrha!"

Suddenly, Jaune head a muffled voice in the distance. He locked towards a pile of wreckage from a house, "I think I found someone!" he said to Mash before lifting the debris. The shielder ran over and began helping.

The two then lifted a large chunk of stone off the pile, reveling Pyrrha and Jeanne underneath. The two girls were badly damaged, their clothes tattered, and blood tailing form the top of their heads down their damaged head accessories. Pyrrha was the first to open her eyes, seeing Jaune smile down at her. However, she sat up with a look of horror as she gasped for air, "It's okay Pyrr-" Jaune was saying until Pyrrha punched him in the throat. The male Arc fell back slightly as he gasped for air as Mash was in stun at what happened.

Suddenly, Pyrrha realized the mistake she is putting her hands to her mouth, "Jaune! I am so sorry."

"It's okay…It's okay," He said in a wheezing voice as he rubbed his throat, coughing before talking slightly clearer, "I'm just glad you two are okay."

Pyrrha then smiled before turning to see Jeanne still on the ground, just now opening her eyes, "You saved me from that explosion." Pyrrha said as Mash helped Jeanne sit up, "How did you do that?"

"Luminosité Eternelle," Jeanne responded, causing Pyrrha and even Jaune to title their heads in confusion, "My Noble Phantasm, it allows me to call upon a large amount of aura stored up in my body and create a barrier around me and my allies." She then coughed as held her side in pain, "But, it takes a toll on my own body afterward. So, I only use it as a last resort in some cases."

"Wow, that's awesome." Jaune said with a smile, "But, what were you two fighting that did all of this?" He asked but the two were hesitant to answer, "What is it?"

Suddenly, a pile of nearby debris erupted a few meters away. The group turned to see a mangled corpse stand. While the bottom half was not as damaged, the upper torso was missing chunks of flesh with exposed bone. The head was almost only a skeleton, but the yellow eyes still glared out. However, a pinkish light glowed off the body. The sparks seemingly healing over the damaged. Pyrrha and Jeanne had a look of horror return to their eyes as the body reformed to the image of their previous opponent. Alter Jaune smiled as he looked at the group. While the top half of his outfit was gone, his body was devoid of any scars, "Remember me?" Alter Jaune said as the pinkish lighting around stopped.

"No!" Pyrrha commented, "But how?"

"Please, that explosion wasn't even a third of my total aura capacity." The evil Arc responded, looking to the ground. He soon saw the hilt of a sword in the wreckage, pulling it out. The sword he had required was Balmung, holding in his left hand, "So long as enough of me remains, I can heal almost any wounds and be good as new." He said before resting the sword on his left should. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed Jaune in confusion at the sight, "Well, if it isn't the weakling." Alter Jaune said in an indigent tone.

"Uh….Jeanne?" Jaune said as he turned to his sister, "Do we have a brother that Mom and Dad never told us about?"

"You're a dumbass!" Alter Jaune responded in a rage, "I'm not your brother, I'm your Alter. That means I'm better than you in every way possible."

"My what?" Jaune responded, "I don't-"

"I can't stand the sight of you anymore." Alter Jaune said as he gritted his teeth, "You die right now!" He said before rushing towards the group, jumping as he raised his sword behind his head. However, as he attempted the downward swing, Mash stood back up. She raised her large shield and blocked the attack. Alter Jaune jumped back to readjust his stance, glare back at the shielder who got in his way, "You think you can stop me?" Alter Jaune said as he pointed with his sword, "I'll cut right through you!"

"Jaune," Mash as she looked back the rest of the group, "I'll fight him while you look out for the rest of the group." She said with Jaune nodding, prompting her to rush toward the evil Arc.

"You think you can beat me with just a big shield?" Alter Jaune said with a smile as he raised his Balmung, "Fine, the order doesn't matter. All of you will die!" He said as he swung his sword downward, the blade colliding with the center of the shield. However, his smile faded as Mash held her ground, staring at him with a focused gaze. She pushed back his attack while moving her shield to her left side. Alter Jaune gritted his teeth as he saw Mash swing her shield horizontally. The evil Arc jumped back to avoid the hit, a look of annoyance in his eyes.

"I won't let you hurt anyone." Mash readjusted her grip on the massive shield, slamming the bottle end into the ground. Alter Jaune growled through his teeth before rushing Mash. He swung his sword wildly towards the Shielder, but she held her stance, blocking each blow.

Pyrrha, Jaune, and Jeanne watched on with faith in their fourth teammate. However, a look of worry fell into the female Arc's eyes, "She can block his attacks, but he isn't leaving an opening for her to strike back."

"His attacks are too wild, there's no pattern," Pyrrha added on. Suddenly, the two looked over to Jaune, who had a look of focus on the fight, "Jaune, what is it."

"Mash, after his third overhead, parry his right vertical slash," Jaune called at as the two had a look of confusion. Mash glanced back for a second before refocusing on the fight. Alter Jaune unleashed his third overhead in a row, moving his left hand in position for a right-side attack. However, Mash prepared for the incoming hit and deflected. Alter Jaune was in stun from the parry, prompting Mash to bash her shield against his body, pushing him back.

Alter Jaune gritted his teeth as he rushed Mash, shouting as he ran, "That was just a lucky g-"

"Now, block his next downward slash," Jaune shouted as Mash nodded. She raised her shield up as Alter Jaune started his downward slash. She then slammed the bottom part of her cross-shaped shield on the tip of Balmung, locking it into the ground. Alter Jaune tried to pull his sword out but could not. He then saw the massive shield collide whit his face again. The force of the impact pushed him back a few steps, giving him momentum to pull out the sword, but leading to nose to become crooked.

Pyrrha and Jeanne looked to Jaune in bewilderment, "How can you predict his movements?" The female Arc asked.

"Well," Jaune said as he scratched the back of his head, "I noticed that he swings that big sword like I would. So, I just had to think one step ahead to think what I would do next. That seems to predict what he would do next." His response still left the two girls with a bewildered expression, "What, that guy is me right?"

"NO!" Alter Jaune shouted in the distance, "I am not you at all. Your strategy is stupid! You're Stupid! Stupid, Stupid, STUPID!" His voice started to crack with his rage, sparks of pink lightning came from his body as he rushed forward, swinging his sword at Mash's shield more furiously than before.

"This is bad," Pyrrha comment, turning to the two Arc siblings, "If he blows up like before, it won't just kill us, but everyone left in this town."

"We have to move this fight outside the town." Jeanne said as Jaune put his right hand on his chin, "Do you have a plan?"

"Hmmm." Jaune said to himself, "Well, I have something." He said before whistling.

Alter Jaune continued to swing his sword as Mash blocked, a line of sweat coming down her face. The evil Arc smiled as he looked at the top part of the cross-shaped shield. He grabbed onto it and vaulted over the shielder. Mash gasped as she glanced back to see Alter Jaune reeling back his left arm for a horizontal swing.

Suddenly, Alter Jaune felt something ensnare him. He turned to see a rope lased his left wrist. The rope led back to Pyrrha, who passed the rope to Jaune while he was on his horse. Alter Jaune had a look of worry as Jaune cracked the rained. The horse neighed before taking off, pulling the evil Arc on the ground as they rode out of town. Mash turned back to the others with a look of confusion, "It was his plan." Jeanne responded before Mash ran over to the group, "We need to back him up quickly." She said with the others nodding and Mash whistling for her horse. She led the way out as the other two whistled for their own to return.

Outside of town, Jaune continued to pull Alter Jaune by the wrist. However, the evil Arc failed to slash as the rope, eventually cutting it. He skidded on the ground before recovering, while Jaune looked back with slight panic. Alter Jaune stood up and aimed Balmung like a spear. He then tossed it towards male Arc, but the blade impacted on the left back side of the horse. Jaune lost control of his horse, its body falling over, pinning his left leg on the ground. Jaune tried to push himself free but could not. He then looked over in dread as the horse panted rapidly in agony.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Alter Jaune said sarcastically as he walked over, "If it makes you feel better, I was aiming for you." He said before pulling out the sword with his left hand, causing the horse to scream in pain.

"Why do you hate me?" Jaune responded as he looked up to his Alter, who gritted his teeth in rage. The evil Arc raised his sword with intent to swing down at his foe. Quickly Jaune called his shield to protect himself.

"Because you are a pitiful, meek, worthless, inferior, pathetic, moron!" Alter Jaune said, swing in tune with his insults. All Jaune could do was block each hit as best he could, "And I don't ever want anyone to mistake me for you ever again!" He said as he continued to strike, infuriated that he could not land a hit. The evil Arc then glanced over to the horse, redirecting his aim to the defenseless creature. Jaune saw the attack incoming and moved his shield to save the horse. The blade bounced off but Alter Jaune then kicked the shield away. He then looked over to Jaune, who have a look of panic in his eyes, "Like I said, you're a moron." Alter Jaune said as he lifted Balmung over his head.

Suddenly, Jaune made his sword and tossed it up toward Alter Jaune's face. The tip of the blade just pierced far enough in the bridge between his eyes, causing him to scream in pain. While blinded, he tossed out Jaune's sword, but he lost his focuses and began to swing his sword wildly. He placed his right hand on his face, still swinging wildly with the sword in his left, and missing both Jaune and the Horse.

 _Mash._

Back from the town, Mash rode her horse toward the two Jaune's. She stood on the saddle of her horse before jumping high into the air. As she descended, she created her massive shield and raise it over her head. Mash smashed her shied on the ground right in front of Alter Jaune, pushing far back a few meters from Jaune and his horse. Alter Jaune landed on his back as Mash knelt to help Jaune push his leg off the horse, "Thanks, Mash." Jaune said as she smiled, the two pushed eventually freed the male Arc from the horse as Pyrrha and Jeanne caught up.

Standing up, Alter Jaune's body glowed with a pinkish light. He lowered his right hand to reveal his eyes had healed, but were filled with rage, "That's it! I'm killing everyone at once now!" he shouted before pointing Balmung to the sky, creating a pillar of teal light with pink sparking lightning.

"That's Siegfried's Noble Phantasm," Jeanne commented in fear. She looked to see Alter Jaune muscles ripping under stress, but a sadistic smile still on his face, "Me must think he can force it if he can endure the pain."

Jaune looked up at the beam in worry before turning back towards the town, "If he swings, he'll blow away the town also." He then looked over to Mash, who got up and stood in front of the group, "Wait, what are you doing?"

Alter Jaune laughed as looked to Mash, "Your shield can't stop this." He said as Mash remained unfazed, "Take this, Phantasmal Greatsword-"

"The place that cures all the wound and dissolves all the hatred," Mash said to herself as she held her cross-shaped shield, closing her eyes. Suddenly, a blue aura surrounding her body, "Our home, sits here!" she declared before opening her eyes, slamming the shield onto the ground in front of her, defending the group.

"Balmung!" Alter Jaune called before dropping his left arm forward, unleashing the beam of energy towards everything in front of him.

"Lord Camelot!" Mash responded as a light blue energy barrier formed around her shield, creating a large circle. The others looked in awe as multiple Whitestone castle walls formed around the entire land, protecting the everything. The energy beam traveled the path down towards the shield, crashing into it with all its force. Parts of the energy reflected off the shield, crashing into the walls. While the bulk of the beam tried to force its way through the energy barrier. Mash pushed against her shield, her heels digging into the ground. She closed her eyes as she tried to continue to hold her ground. Suddenly, she felt the less stress on her body as she opened her eyes. The shielder looked to her right to see Jaune helping to push back the attack. Right after were Pyrrha and Jeanne, both aiding in the process. Mash slight smiled before focusing back on the defenses. The four held their ground as the beam grew larger in size, standing their ground with all their strength.

Suddenly, the beam exploded over the four, create a cloud of dust over the group of students. At that moment, Alter Jaune's beam had stopped. He fell forward onto one knee as his breathing was heavy. His body sparked as he tried to heal, but it was much slower than before. However, he smiled as he looked at the dust cloud. The Whitestone walls began to fade away as he began to laugh. But his sadistic joy did not last long as the wind carried the dust away. His gaze returned to one of anger as, not only the town, but the four students remained. Jaune, Pyrrha, and Jeanne laid on the ground in exhaustion as Mash still held onto the shield. Her breathing was tired, but she still glared back at Alter Jaune, "Why won't you fools just die already!?" The evil Arc shouted back as he stood up, "No matter, I'll just use my Noble Phantasm again!" he then lifted his sword up like before, causing Mash to grit her teeth in worry.

She got ready to slam her shield like before, but something caught the corner of her eye. The Shielder looked in the fare right distance to see someone approaching on horseback. Jaune lifted his head to see the approaching person, a smile forming on his face as he knew who it was, "Professor Gawain!" Jaune called as the white clade knight approached, causing a line of sweat to appear on Alter Jaune's face as he lowered his sword.

Once Gawain reunited with his class, he dismounted his white horse. However, his appearance was different from when they last saw him. His cape was torn at the ends and his armor dented across the chest plate. A river of blood ran from the top of his head down his right eye, but a calming smile was still on his face. Mash had a look of relief for a second, but soon changed to worry as she realized the professor was alone, "Where is my Dad!?" Mash as her eyes feared the worst response.

"It's all right Mash," Gawain responded, "He is resting from the battle while I went on ahead." His comment led to Mash feeling relieved as the other students got up, "It seems that we weren't alone in taking on a powerful enemy." He said before looking over to Alter Jaune, tilting his head in confusion, "Strange, he looks familiar."

"He calls himself my Alter," Jaune said as he helped Pyrrha stand, "And he is a psychopath."

"He killed citizens in the town, murdering them in cold blood," Pyrrha added on.

"And he has Siegfried's sword, saying something happened to him." Jeanne added on as she held her side pain, "We need to stop him."

"…. I see," Gawain said as he stared down Alter Jaune, who smirked as he looked at the white clade knight. Gawain then turned back to his class with a smile, "You four have done a great job, but let me finish this battle for you."

"But, you're injured." Jaune commented, "We can take if we all fight together."

"True, but I realized I have done a poor job as you professor lately," The white clade knight responded, placing his right hand on his chest as he bowed slightly, "So, I ask that you four watch me while I fight and take notes." He said before turning back to face Alter Jaune, "Allow me you show you the power of a Heroic Spirit."

"Uh…O-okay," Jaune said as he watched Gawain walk towards Alter Jaune for a few steps before stopping.

Suddenly, he looked to his right as a small ball of fire formed. The ball quickly in size to that of a car, soon resembling that of a miniature sun. Gawain then reached into the miniature sun, unafraid and unburnt by the flames. He then pulled out a large, long sword. Then hilt was blended with the frame of the blade, as the whole weapon had a cybernetic aesthetic to it. It glowed in a blue light as he adjusted his stance, holding the sword in his right hand. The end of the blade pointed back as held it under his left arm, a slight smile on his face as he looked at Alter Jaune, "I'm Sir Gawain, Knight of the Sun. I will be your opponent now." he said as the miniature sun faded away.

"He's so cool!" Jaune said as he tried to hold back his excitement, leading to Pyrrha smiling.

"You think you can stop me!?" Alter Jaune commented, a smile on his face, "I'm sure your exhausted from your fight with the Dragon."

Overhearing, Jeanne had a look confusion, "Wait, how did he know about the Grimm Dragon?" she said to herself.

"I may be approaching my limit, but you look to have far surpassed yours." Gawain responded to the evil Arc, "I would say you could not pull off another one of Siegfried's Noble Phantasm like before."

"Siegfried is dead!" Alter Jaune responded as he held Balmung, "This is now my sword alone." His comment caused Jeanne to have a look of confusion, feeling this statement was unlike how she brought up Siegfried to the evil Arc before.

"In any case, you should be too weak to invoke its name again." Gawain responded, "If you do, I will be forced to use mine as well."

"You won't get the chance!" Alter Jaune said before rushing toward Gawain, attempting a downward swing. However, Gawain held his ground, reaming focused on his opponent. As the Knight of the Sun saw the blade approach him, he reposted it at the last second. Alter Jaune was left in a stunned state, opening him up for Gawain to slash across his chest. Alter Jaune screamed in pain as he placed his right hand over his chest, looking down to see smoke coming from his wound. His eyes turned to panic as he looked at Gawain resume his original stance.

"My sword burns as it cuts," Gawain responded as he saw Alter Jaune's chest slowly heal, "Even with that regeneration, the pain is still excruciating."

"Shut up!" Alter Jaune said as began to swing wildly, "I can take any amount of pain with my near endless amount of aura!" he shouted as he swung, but Gawain blocked each hit. After a few swings, the evil Arc reached for Gawain's, grabbing the middle of the blade. Even though the blade was scorching his right hand, he smiled as he raised Balmung over his head, "Now, drop dead!" He said as he swung downward.

However, Gawain remained calm as his own sword's light changed from blue to a fiery yellow. The new heat singed through Alter Jaune's right hand, burning off the finger as the blade intercepted and parried Alter Jaune's attack. The evil Arc screamed again as he stepped back in the stunned state. Gawain capitalized again as he attempted an upward slash, cutting off Alter Jaune's right arm at the shoulder.

Alter Jaune continued to back up as he looked at the ground, seeing his severed arm. The right arm glowed in dark aura before evaporating into black smoke. Blood continued to pour down his open wound until he gritted his teeth, causing the pinkish lightning to form on the rest of his right should and heal, "It's time to end this." He said as he pointed Balmung to the sky, creating a pillar of energy like before. However, the beam was less stable, and his body began to rip apart, but Alter Jaune just had a mad smile on his face.

At that moment Gawain tossed his sword a few feet straight into the air. As it spun, the blade created a miniature sun in the sky like before, "This sword transfers the sun's body," The Knight of the Sun said before catching the blade, reeling it back for a horizontal swing, "The heat of these flames shall cleanse the impure." He said before a large yellow, glyph-like symbol appeared on the ground under the two, "Sword of Resurrected Victory," Gawain said as he glared at Alter Jaune, "Excalibur Galatine!" he declared as he swung horizontally, bisecting Alter Jaune by his stomach. The evil Arc had a look of stunned shock as the two halves of his body were about to touch the ground. The beam of Balmung faded as he let go of the sword. Suddenly, Gawain watched as the land in front of him erupted in an inferno of flames. The fours students shielded their eyes from the light, feeling the heatwave pass through their body.

Once they open their eyes, they saw Gawain still stand as he looked at the fire over then. The Knight of the Sun then raised his hand with his sword, causing the fire around him to come to his blade. He then looked over to see the two pieces of Alter Jaune body, badly scorched. The lower half began to fade like the right arm, but the other half was deteriorating at a slower process. Gawain walked over to the upper half of the body, kneeling as he hears him a cough, "You think…this is over." Alter Jaune said with a weak laugh, "I am…not the only…alter." He said with Gawain reaming stern, "The others…will come…as more…are made." The evil Arc said as he smiled, "I just wanted…ahead start …on the rampage." His smile then turned mournful as tears formed in his eyes as more than half his reaming torso was faded, "I just…wanted to be…remember…for…something…"

Gawain closed his eyes as a small smile formed on his face, "You fought to the very end, even when you knew you would lose." The Knight of the Sun said as he opened his eyes, "I commend you for that, Alter Jaune."

Alter Jaune continued to smile as he laughed, only his head and neck reaming to be "I always thought…wielding a big sword…with one hand…looked so…" The evil Arc said before his eyes closed, "Cool…" he said his final word before the rest of him faded away. Gawain closed his eyes as he tilted his head down for a few seconds. He then stood back up and looked to his left, seeing Balmung on the ground. The knight of the Sun picked up the twohanded sword and walked over to his students.

Jeanne.

A while later, it was now nighttime over the land. The four students sat in a group as a small fire gave them light. Mash was bandaging up Pyrrha's leg. However, the red-haired warrior's eyes were focused on Gawain. The white clade knight was standing before a group of over a couple dozen townspeople. However, each of them had a look of anger towards the Heroic Spirit, while some had tears in their eyes, "He's taking the backlash for all of us." Pyrrha commented, "Alter Jaune got into a few homes and killed the residents before we got here. Not to mention all those who died in that explosion." She said in a mournful voice as she saw a townsman shouted at Gawain, but the white clade knight remained clam, "It's hard to be a hero when you cannot save everyone."

"But we still saved a lot of people today," Mash said as she finished wrapping Pyrrha's wound, "We do our best to save as many lives as possible, that is the role of a Heroic Spirit." The shielder smiled as she helped Pyrrha up, "That means, we did well today."

Pyrrha smiled back as she accepted Mash's help, "Thank you." She said as the two looked over at the Arc siblings.

Jaune and Jeanne sat next to each other as they faced his injured horse. Both their eyes were closed, but the male Arc hand his hands placed over the stab wound. While his sister had her right hand on his shoulder. On her back was Balmung, held in place by some ropes. Jeanne started to glow in a yellow light, soon followed by Jaune. However, the aura around Jaune was whiter in color. The horse began to glow in the white light also, having a calming look in its eyes. Jaune then lifted his hands and opened his eyes, discovering the injury on his horse had healed, "It worked!" he said in excitement as his horse neighed in joy.

Jeanne opened her eyes as she smiled, "Congratulations," she said as let go of her brother, "Our skills aren't the same, but you seem to have the potential for healing with your aura." She said as she had a slight giggle, "I never knew you had this much aura. With some practice, you can master it in no time."

"You think so?" Jaune said with a smile, "Awesome, I will." He then placed his hands on his head as he talked, "But, I don't know if my headache now is from finally getting the hang of this, or from hunger." his comment caused Jeanne to laugh in joy, but she soon changed to remorse, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Jeanne responded as she smiled, "Jaune, you really like Beacon, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course." He responded with a smile, "I mean, it's tough at times. But I am getting a little better each day." The male Arc said as Jeanne smiled, "I mean, I love it here also. But, Vale is where I feel I belong."

"I am glad to hear that," Jeanne said with a smile as Jaune responded in kind. Suddenly, she hugged her brother tightly, to his shock, "Just…Promise you'll take what you learn here back with you. Not just to save others, but to save yourself as well." She said as she closed her eyes, trying to hide the tears that had just formed.

"Ahh okay," Jaune said, still in stun from the moment, but hugged her back. He then looked over to see Gawain walking over to the group.

"Well, you four did a great job on this mission." Gawain said with a smile as Jaune let go of his sister, causing the two to stand up, "Your role is over now, but I will stay here for the time to help repair the town." he then sighed as his smile faded, turning to one of slight sorrow, "The town will not let any of you four say the night, wanting you to leave now. So, I called an evacuation team to meet us half way on our journey so that you are not traveling in the dark for too long." He paused to wait for one of the students to speak their mind, but none did, leading to him to smile again, "I commend you all for understanding, I wish that things could have been different." The white clade knight then looked over to the male Arc, "Also Jaune, when you get back to the academy, I would like you to change out of the Saber class."

"What?" Jaune exclaimed, "But why?"

"The negative reputation your Alter left here is not something I would not like you to carry the burden of." Gawain responded, "With that, I think it would be for the best you distinguish yourself as a Heroic Spirit of a different class."

"Well, I guess you have a point," Jaune said as he crossed his arms, "I really liked being a Saber tho." He muttered under his voice.

"What about my Dad," Mash added on, "Can we please meet up with him now?"

"Of course," Gawain responded before signaling the horses, "After we meet with him, we should be near the evacuation team. Then we will part ways." The group of students nodded before they mounted the horses, riding off as Gawain lead them on his white stallion.

After returning and traversing through the thick trees of the forest, Gawain lead the group to a small clearing. As they examined the area, the students looked in awe at the large Grimm Dragon's body was in the clearing. Its wings were broken and its body leaking a black fluid. The bone mask attached to its head was cracked, but its eyes were wide open, "Wow, it's still alive?" Jaune said in shock as he noticed the monster breathing, "It looks like it in a lot of pain."

Gawain nodded before he looked to Mash, who frantically scan the area for her father. He then pointed to a nearby tree. As Mash turned, she discovered Lancelot sitting against the tree. His breathing was heavy, and his armor dented. The black armored knight's head hung low as the rest of his body remained limp, "Papa!" Mash yelled as she jumped off her horse, running to her father. Lancelot lifted his head slightly to see his daughter approaching. She hugged him as tears formed in her eyes. Gawain smiled as he saw Lancelot slowly raise his right hand, placing it on Mash's back.

The Knight of the Sun then turned to the rest of the students as he got off his horse, "Jaune and Pyrrha, please help Lancelot onto a horse and start taking him to the rondeau point." He said with the two nodding. Gawain then looked over to the female are, "Jeanne, I need to talk to you about something important." He said before walking towards the Grimm Dragon.

Jeanne nodded before dismounting her horse she followed him as they reached a few feet from the face of the massive creature, looking into its red-eyes, "What could have caused this thing to be here?" Jeanne asked as Gawain reached into this pocket. He then pulled out his scroll and passed it her, "What's this for?"

"I need you to take that to the headmaster. It contains the information Alter Jaune spoke to me in his last words and my opinion on who this Grimm Dragon." He said as crossed his arms, "Normally, I would just send him the information. However, I'm not sure who I can trust with these new developments. But I have known you long enough to know you will get this information to him safe"

"I'm sorry," Jeanne responded with a look of disbelief, "Did you say 'who'?"

Gawain then turned back to the Grimm Dragon's eye. Jeanne did the same, but the look of confusion remained. Suddenly, she recalled all that happened to her today. What she heard Alter Jaune say? Who she knew was missing? Why was this Grimm still alive but not thrashing wildly? Soon, a look of horror filled Jeanne's face as she looked at the creature's eye, "Lancelot and I just managed to hold our own against this thing. I was about to kill it after I realized its attacks were slowing down." Gawain then closed his eyes, "But, as I looked it its eyes, I so a certain type of pain. The pain of someone trying hard to fight back their urges, to prevent them from going mad." He partway opened one eye to see the students helping Lancelot onto Mash's horse, "I have seen someone else go through that pain before." He then looked back to the Grimm Dragon, "But this is something completely different to what I could have imagined happened to him."

Jeanne slowly approached the Grimm Dragon, placing her right hand on the bone mask near the eye. She looked with tears forming, hearing the creature whine in pain as it tried to not trash. Jeanne closed her eyes as she rested her forehead against bone mask, tears still pouring down her face, "Sieg…" She said mournfully as the Grimm Dragon continued to breathe, Gawain closed his eyes as she tilted his head forward, "Don't worry, we'll find a way to turn you back to normal." She said as the Grimm Dragon's breath became slightly calmer, "I promise."

 **AN: There you go Alter Jaune was defeated. I wrote him as a psychopath, but I want to still give him some nuance in certain areas of his character. Jaune gets to see Gawain do some cool stuff, but now must be put into a different class because of his Alter's actions. Mash gets her time to shine here, showing off her Noble Phantasm, and having a little moment with her father. Jeanne and Pyrrha come to terms with one another as Jeanne realizes what is important in her relationship with her brother. However, Jeanne also comes to the realization of what happened to Siegfried and now has a new mission for her to accomplish.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	30. Chapter 28 - Switching Things Up

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here a little sooner than expected. This one shows the pushing forwards of some characters in their training process, as well as a couple of characters getting a new class. To avoid confusion, I'll have already updated the RWBY stat sheet and move it to right before this chapter. I hope people like the changes, they are ones I have been building up for a while. You'll see a few new characters the Fate series here now, some of whom I think are a little underrated, but I really like. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 28 – Switching Things Up**

 _Mercury._

The next morning, Mercury and Emerald walked down the halls of the academy, passing by many doors to other rooms. The grey-haired assassin had his hands in his pockets as he looked to the green-haired thief, "So, you got back around midnight?" he said before smirk, "Did you confess your feelings to Roman before you two went to bed?"

"Stop calling Robin Roman!" Emerald responded angerly, "And…the right moment never came up. So, just drop it now."

"You want me to do it for you?" He said with a little chuckle, "You know, pass him a note during class?"

"Shut it Mercury, or the next person to break your legs will be me." She replied before smiling, "Just how many times did that happen while I was gone?"

"…Maybe we should just drop it." Mercury responded before sighing, "Anyway, your little field trip went well?"

"...Yeah, more or less," Emerald said as she still keeps her smile, "I made a couple of friends with my time overseas. It's actually nice to socialize a bit." She said with Mercury stopping, leading to her looking back at him as she stopped, "What?"

"Look," Mercury said in a serious voice, "It's good to play nice while we are here, but don't get too attached." He said with Emerald smile fading, "It will just make things harder when the time comes."

"…I know what I'm doing," Emerald responded as she crossed her arms, "Like Cinder told us, we need to act like students to blend in." She then smiled again before turning around, "We all can't be a loner loser like you."

"Hey!" He said in an offended voice as he tried to catch up to her, "I am not a loner lo-" Suddenly, a door opened in front of him, hitting him in the face. He gowned in pain as he put his hands on his nose.

Emerald turned around with a giggle as she looked at Mercury in pain, "You should watch where you're going. I didn't even use my semblance that time."

"That time?" Mercury said as he moved his hands away from his face, "Wait, were you the reason I kept running into things after we first met." He asked, but Emerald only smirked, causing him to grit his teeth.

"I'm sorry." A female voice called out to the two from inside the room that opened. Mercury and Emerald looked to see a girl bowing her head. She had black tied into a long ponytail on her left side, almost reaching the floor. The two were taken back at how revealing the girl's outfit was, exposing most of her body. She only had a small amount of white body armor on her sides and neck, like that of a samurai's in style, but small flaps covered her breast. She did not have any pants, only a blue pair of underwear. On her left side was a sword in a raccoon-tail styled sheath, "I'm in a rush to get to my morning class."

"It's fine," Emerald responded, "Shouldn't you…finish getting dressed?"

"No, this is what I wear," The exposed samurai girl said as she looked at Emerald, "You must be one of the new transfers. You can call me Ushiwakamaru."

"Hey, you can call me Emerald," The green-haired thief said before gesturing to the grey-haired assassin, "And the guy you just hit is Mercury."

"Again, I am really so-" Ushiwakamaru said as she turned to see Mercury. However, she cut herself off upon getting a good look at him, her eyes widening as she began to breathe heavily.

"…What?" Mercury responded as Ushiwakamaru took a step back, "What is it?"

"I-I'm sorry, but I really have to go now." The exposed samurai girl said as she moved around the two, a line of sweat going down her face, "I'm so sorry!" She said before running down the hall.

"Hey wait!" Mercury yelled, but Ushiwakamaru vanished in an instant, leaving the two confused, "What was that about, why did she freak out after seeing me?"

"I don't know, maybe she was just in a rush like she said," Emerald commented, "Not everything revolves around you." She said as she continued to walk down the hall.

Mercury scoffed before following, put his hands back in his pockets, "Well, she looked cute in that outfit." He said with Emerald looking back at him with an indignant expression, "What, I'm a guy."

"You're a pig." Emerald responded as she looked away, "That outfit was unseemly."

"And your one to talk," Mercury said under his breath, causing a slight giggle.

"What was that!?" Emerald asked in anger.

"Nothing." Mercury responded with a smile, "I just like a girl that's not afraid to shows off a little skin. Is that wrong?"

"Oh, Mercury!" The two then heard a young girls voice call out from behind them, one that sounds familiar to the grey-haired assassin. He turned first to see the person he ran into one his trip to the infirmary, Jack the Ripper. However, he had a look of shock at what she was wearing a black vest and thigh stockings mixed with her purple shoes. However, the little girl did not were pants, instead of having a thin black thong. Around the back of her waist were four knife sheaths, each with a blade incept. In her hands, she carried a large hardcover book that said 'Alice in Wonderland' on the title, "We finally found you. We looked all over for you yesterday." Jack said with a smile as she hugged Mercury's left leg.

Mercury had an uneasy smile before turning to Emerald, who had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed, "To answer your question, yes. Very, very wrong."

Mercury gritted his teeth before picking up the little girl, placing her a few feet in front of him before taking a step back, "Jack, what are you wearing?" he said as he knelt to match her in eye level.

"Oh, this is our combat outfit." Jack responded with a smile and a wink, "Don't we look cute?"

"Y-yeah, very cute." Mercury said with an uneasy smile while Emerald looked down at him, shaking her head, "Did your mommy pick it out for you?"

"Yup, she did." Jack said with a smile before holding up her book towards Mercury, "I wanted to introduce you to our best friend."

"…A book?" Mercury responded with the tilting of his head. Suddenly, the book began to shake out of Jack's hands. As it hovered in the air, Mercury's eyes widened in fear. The book then opened to a middle page in the story, unleashing a flurry of playing cards on to the ground. Right after, a pink smoke was emitted from the texts that covered the area around the book. In the smoke, Mercury saw what looked like candies and dolls playing. The smoke soon faded, revealing someone new in the center. It was a little girl in a black puffy dress. She wore a black hat with pink ribbons over her light grey hair, which was tied into two long ponytails. She gracefully landed on the ground and bowed her head, "Oh," He said in disbelief before turning to Emerald, who had an unsurprised look on her face, "You're not confused by that just now." He asked the green-haired thief, "Not even a little."

"I have actually seen weirder things already," Emerald responded, "Book turning into a kid is not that shocking to me now."

"It is pleasure to meet you both," The gothic little girl said in a peaceful voice, "My name is Nursery Rhyme."

"Nice to meet you," Mercury said as he bowed his head, causing Rhyme to smile, "So, you and Jack are friends?"

"Best Friends," Jack said as she hugged Rhyme from behind, looking at her, "This is the man who helped us with the food container."

"Food container?" Emerald said to herself, "Wait, is the girl you said to a human he-"

Emerald was speaking until Mercury quickly stood up and covered her mouth with his right hand, "Well, it was nice meeting you two. But, Emerald and I have to go now." He said as Emerald struggled to speak, "I'll see you around."

"Can we have a tea party together!?" Jack asked, her eyes widening in excitement, as did Rhyme's.

"Yeah, sure. After my classes." Mercury said as he started to back up, pulling Emerald along as he still covered her mouth, "I'll see you later Jack. You too, Rhyme." He called out as he got further away.

Once the two had turned a corner, he removed his hand, leading to Emerald gasping for air. She then gritted her teeth and punched him in the gut, leading to him now gasping for air, "What was that for!?" she angerly responded as he held his stomach.

"Hey, second on my list of things I don't want to have happened to me at this academy is getting my legs blown off again." Mercury responded, "And right above that is not having my chest carved out by that little girl and watching as she eats my heart in one gulp." He said before bushing himself off and putting his hands back in his pockets, "Listen, you do your thing and I'll do my thing. That way, we don't get in the others way while we are stuck here at this school. Deal?"

"Deal." Emerald as she sighed, a smile on her face forming, "Enjoy your tea party." She said before walking away. Mercury scoffed before turning the opposite direction and walking off.

 _Jaune._

In the lab center where weapons are scanned, Jaune, Pyrrha, Mash, and Jeanne all stood as Caren sat at a desk typing on a computer. The students had a worried expression as Caren's remained blank while typing, "Uh, where is Dr. Roman?" Mash asked.

"He is preparing for a meeting, so I'm here in his place." Caren responded before looking to Jaune, "And, you want to change your class?"

"Yes," Jaune spoke up, "So, how does this work. If I pick archer, do I get a bow and arrows?"

"It's not that simple," Caren responded, "You only change to classes you have a high affinity with. Also, you are supposed to have a new weapon that matches your different class already, having at least a little training with it." She then glared at him with a cold stare, "But you have not done that yet, yet you still want change your class."

"Well, I was asked to do it as soon as possible." The male Arc responded, "Can you at least tell me what class I can be put in."

"Well, I ran a scan of your data from your day on arrival," Caren said as she looked back to the computer monitor, "Running down the list: Archer no, Lancer no, Caster no, Assassin no, Rider…" she said with a pause, causing Jaune to become optimistic, "…no."

"Why did you pause?" Pyrrha asked.

"I thought I had to sneeze." The medical professor responded.

"But I bonded really well with a horse on my last mission?" He said, causing Caren to look back at him, raising an eyebrow, "Okay, that came out wrong, let me rephrase that."

"No matter, you can change to the berserker class," Caren added on "Albeit, losing most of your sanity."

"Jaune," Jeanne said as she turned to her brother, "I don't think that class will help the issue we are trying to solve." She said with him nodding, the female Arc then turned back to the medical professor, "What about any of the extra classes."

"Those are a lot rarer to be placed in without it being your starting class, but I will check," Caren said as she resumed typing on her computer. After a few seconds, she tilted her head in intrigue, "It looks like you actually can classify as a Shielder Class as well."

"Really," Jaune said before smiling, "Well, guess my weapon is already sword and shield."

"That would make you the second shielder at this school," Mash said with a smile, "I was getting lonely being the only one."

"Okay, if that is the class you change to," Caren said as she reached out her right hand, "Give me your class card." Jaune reached into his pocket and passed it to her. He placed it on the table next to her computer, causing a light blue symbol to appear under it, "Now, get in that pod over there." The medical professor said as she pointed to a now opening cylindrical pod, the same model that people went into for their noble phantasm registration.

Jaune took a deep breath before walking into the pod. He turned around as the doors closed. The other saw him mouthing something, but they heard no sound, "What did he say?" Pyrrha said as she turned to Jeanne and Mash, but both shrugged in response.

"He asked if this will hurt," Caren said as she continued to type on her computer. She then leaned back as she pushed the final button. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came from inside the pod Jaune was in. He screamed, but no sound was heard for the group. The girls shield their eyes from the light, while Caren reached for her coffee mug and took a sip from it. After a few seconds, the lightning stopped, and the pod filled with smoke. As the doors opened, a plume of smoke came out and obscured their vision. Pyrrha, Mash, and Jeanne waited to see how different Jaune was now. However, the male Arc fell out of the pod face first, landing on the ground, coughing up some of the smoke, "The answer was yes." Caren said as she placed her cup down.

Pyrrha helped Jaune up as he looked over his body, "I don't look that different." He commented, "Did it work?"

"The changes are more on a metaphysical level rather than a simple body change. You don't gain muscle in the pod, but the mental image of your strength changes. Which in turn makes you different." Caren said as she then looked an around for something, "We can check by looking at your class card." She said before finding his Class Card but discovered she had used it as a coaster for her mug. She pulled it out under her cup as Jaune had a look of slight offense, "Yep it worked. You're a shielder now." She said before turning the card over, "And your stats seem to have increased."

"Really, let me see!" Jaune said as he snatched it out of Caren's hand, causing her to have a look of indignation, "Wow, I'm much stronger than before!" He said with a smile, before it changed to confusion, "But, how did my luck go down? What did I do to be less lucky?"

"Like I said, most of this is perception based on how you view yourself, what you have discovered about your limitations." Caren responded, "Maybe you had something happen that made you change your view on how lucky you are."

"Jaune, I'm happy you this turned out well," Jeanne said as she placed her right hand on her brother's shoulder, "But, this doesn't mean you get to goof off now. You still have to train so that those stats aren't a lie."

"I know, I know." Jaune responded as he put his class card back in his pocket, "Practice makes perfect."

"If you want, you and I can train with my father." Mash added on, "He has been helping me with understanding my class since there is no shielder professor here."

"Sure," Jaune said with a smile before turning to Caren, "Thanks for your help." He said as he waved goodbye, but Caren just sipped his coffee.

As the four walked out of the room, they quickly passed by Weiss. The heiress was carrying a stack of over a dozen books. She somewhat struggled to hold them as he passed you the group, "Hey Weiss where are you going." Pyrrha asked.

"I'm me meeting with Professor Semiramis in the courtyard." She said as she adjusted her grip on the books, "I have to get going."

"Hey Jaune," Pyrrha said as she turned to him, "Maybe you should give her a hand."

"Nah, she looks like she's got it," Jaune responded, causing Pyrrha to tilt her head in confusion. Suddenly, the male Arc felt his stomach growl, "Oh I still haven't eaten yet." He then turned to the female shielder, "Hey Mash, want to find something to eat in the cafeteria."

"Okay," She responded as the two walked the opposite direction of the group.

Pyrrha still had a look of confusion as Jeanne turned to her, "Everything okay?" the female Arc asked.

"Well," Pyrrha said as she watched the two walk out of sight, "Your brother kind of has a crush on Weiss. I would have thought he'd jump at the opportunity to help her out." The red-haired warrior said as her eyes widened a bit, "You don't think-"

"Class changes can alter an individual's personality," Caren said as she walked up to the group. Her left hand in her coat pocket and right hand holding her mug, "While more drastic in Berserkers, it is possible to see differences on a smaller level with any class change."

"So, he lost his crush on Weiss?" Pyrrha said with slight disbelief, causing Caren to nod before sipping her coffee, "I guess you don't have to worry about him hitting on you anymore We-" Pyrrha said as she turned back to the heiress, but discovered she was gone. "Weiss?"

"She left a while ago," Caren responded after finishing her sip, "I don't think she cared."

"Oh," Pyrrha responded, "I guess that's that then." She said with a slight giggle before checking her scroll, "I have to go see Professor Vlad for my first lesson with him." She said before putting her scroll away, "I'll see you around Jeanne."

"Take care," Jeanne said Pyrrha started to walk away, waving with a smile. However, as she saw the red-haired warrior turn the corner, Jeanne's smile faded.

Caren looked at the female Arc before closing her eyes, "You should get going to the meeting also." The medical professor said before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Right," Jeanne said in a slightly sadden voice before taking a deep breath and walking away. Caren opened her eyes as she watched Jeanne walked away for a few seconds. She then returned to the room to drink her coffee in peace.

 _Nora._

Emerald eventual made her way to meeting Nora and Frankenstein outside of a classroom. Fran's was no longer wearing her damaged wedding dress and her headpieces were repaired. However, her left arm was in a cast and sling. The green haired thief walked over to the group, "Hey Em." Nora said in joy, "We just got here also, but I think Neo and Jekyll are already inside."

"Aa," Fran said with a smile.

"Hey," Emerald said as she looked at the door to the room, "This is the class, right?"

"Au," Fran said with a nod before turning around, placing her right hand on the handle, "Ua-"Suddenly, as she started to turn the knob, the door busted open. However, Fran was not hit by the door, instead was picked up by a man running out the room.

"My dear Fran!" the man said with tears in his eyes, pouring through his glasses. Nora and Emerald were somewhat confused as the looked at the person. He was somewhat old, in his late fifties, with sort grey hair and a mustache. His suit was a striped black with a red ascot, "How could anyone hurt my Fran?"

"…Papa." Fran said as she hugged the old man, patting him on the back with her right arm, "Uu."

"Oh, right," the old man said as he put Fran down. He cleared his throat and faced the others, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is James Moriarty." He said as he placed his right hand on his chest, slightly bowing, "I teach Mathematics at this academy and am Fran's father."

"Nice to meet you," Emerald responded.

"Hello," Nora responded, "You're really Fran's dad. You seem kind of old."

"I am not that old." Moriarty responded, "But if you must know, I am Fran adoptive father after he ran away years ago."

"Au!" Fran said as she overheard the conversation, irritated at the mentioning of that person.

"I know you don't want to ever think about him," Moriarty said to Fran, "Don't worry, we never have to speak of him again."

"Au…uaa." Fran said as she smiled, "Ua?"

"Oh, that. Of course, it is ready." Moriarty said as he walked into the room, followed by the three girls. The room was practically empty, but Emerald saw two familiar faces sit at a desk. They were Neo and Jekyll, who was in the middle of a game of chess. Neo was holding the white pieces as Jekyll was on his turn with the black pieces. He moved his Queen forward with a confident smile.

The mathematics professor then glanced over to Nora and Emerald, "Fran called and told me about your bravery on your last mission." He then smiled as he focused on Nora, "Especially you for saving my daughter's life, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Ah thanks," Nora responded, "Does that mean you give me an A in the class even if I fail all the test?"

"Oh no, I would never do that." Moriarty said with Nora slouching in disappointment, "However, I can solve your weaponry problem."

"Oh yeah," Nora said as she looked down at her hands, "Ever since it was destroyed, cannot call my Magnhild back to me." Her eyes then lit up with excitement, "Did you make me a new one?"

"I did better than that," Moriarty responded as he went behind his desk, reaching for something big, "Tada!" he said as he pulled out a large, bladed weapon of around five feet in length. The weapon had a pole-shaped handle and two blades that looked like pincers, while the third was longer and cured near the middle of the frame. The weapon had a spherical center like that of Fran's mace, "This is a modified older model of Fran's Mace. After she called me and informed me of what happened, I worked tirelessly to create this blade." Moriarty passed the blade to Nora, "I call it, Skewered Plasma Blade, The Thunder Blade of Impalement!" He said with enthusiasm as Nora looked at the weapon. However, she did not match his excitement, "Is something the matter?"

"No," Nora said as she looked at the weapon, "Just, swords aren't my thing." looked back to him with a slight smile, "I like to smash, not slash." She said as she continued to examine the weapon, "Still a cool name, but why is it called that."

"I designed it with what Fran told me your 'semblance' was," Moriarty said as he sighed and leaned on his desk, somewhat defeated. Fran walked over and patted him on the back with her right arm, "You funnel your static electricity into the weapon." He said as Nora focused on the blade, tightening her grip on the pole handle. Emerald saw the weapon spark, prompting her to back up in fear, "Once you do that, you can-"

The mathematics professor was saying unto the pincer blades on Nora's weapon spread apart. Suddenly, a beam of electricity ejected from the blade. It was a few feet in length and hummed with the static blue light is emitted. Nora's eyes widened in excitement as she looked at the plasma blade, "Wow, this is so cool!" Nora said as Moriarty lifted his head, a smile returning to his face. Nora began to swing the electricity blade around, "Whoosh…Whoooosh…Whoosh." Nora said as she made her own sound effects for the weapon with each swing. She then looked over to a nearby desk as smiled, "Whoosh!" she said before slashing the desk with her plasma blade, cutting it clean in half, "This thing is awesome!"

"I thought you didn't like swords." Emerald said as she crossed her arms, a smirk on her face, "If you're going to use something like that, you may need to change to that Saber Class."

"Sure, I'll do that." Nora agreed as she looked at the plasma blade with smile, "This must be how Ruby feels all the time." she said as her eyes glowed like that of the lightning she was staring at, "I wonder how big I can make this blade get if I have more electricity?" she said in an overjoyed voice.

"Fantastic!" Moriarty said as he stood up from his desk, "And I can help you master your skills with that weapon in no time." He said with Nora smiling back, "That is, after today's calculus lessons." Suddenly, Nora's smile faded as Moriarty began to laugh.

In the corner of his eye, Moriarty looked over to see Jekyll confinity move his Bishop forward, "Check." He said as he took his hand off the piece, smiling as he crossed his arms. Neo looked back at him with a smirk, changing the orientation of her eye color. She moved her queen forward in sight of Jekyll's King. The smile on his face soon faded as he realized he was in checkmate.

"Oh," Moriarty said as he walked over to the two, "Looks like you lost Jekyll, that makes three times in a row." He said as the assassin in glasses was still dumbfounded. Neo smirked as she crossed her arms.

 **AN: There you go, a very casual chapter to balance out the chaos of the last one. I feel Ushiwakamaru is an underrated character with one of the most interesting backstories. There is a connection between her and Mercury I wanted to do for this story, but that will be revealed soon. Jack comes back with Nursery Rhyme, which I found funny how Emerald has quickly adjusted to the oddities of the things at this school. Jaune is now a shielder class, which is something I planned for a while, now giving him a better stat distribution to a class I feel her matches a lot more than saber. This also means he will be primarily trained by Mash and Lancelot, since Gawain is unavailable now. Also, in the context of this story, his crush on Weiss goes away with this change. I never really liked the way it was done in the show and this gives me a little more creative freedom here. Weiss and Pyrrha already have their mentors, and Nora found hers in Moriarty. I really do like his character in fate and made the context of this story to have him be Fran's adoptive father, like Sisigou and Mordred's case. He also gives Nora her new weapon, which is what Fran uses in her summer version. I updated Nora's section to show she is now a saber class with different stat distribution. And that wraps up the summary, the next few chapters will follow this casual style for me introduce a few more characters and contextual information, while Jeanne's story goes though the more serious moments throughout these sections.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	31. Chapter 29 - Those Around You

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. I get to a few new faces here as I'm rounding up some of the other people from the staff and student list. Again, this is a casual chapter with me setting up a few things in the future. A couple of the new character are some of my favorite designs from Fate. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 29 – Those Around You**

 _Yang._

Yang and Mordred followed Cleopatra down a hallway in the academy. The prideful knight had her casual clothes from before, now cleaned from her run-in with Ruby. The snake-haired queen's ankle had recovered, her walking speed was normal. The blond berserker had her hands behind her head as she yawned, "Man, I sleep great last night."

"Well, good for you," Mordred said as she rolled her shoulder, "Since you were passed out I from the fight all yesterday, I had to do both our homework, so we don't fall behind." She sighed as she walked, "I hate that brat Anderson and his dumb writing class. I would rather live amazing adventures than write ones on paper."

"You don't want people to know about your tales after you die," Cleopatra said with a smirk as she looked back, "Or, have stories for your kids to read."

"I don't care what people think of me after I'm dead, that's their problem." Mordred said before going silent for a second, "As for kids…I haven't thought about that."

"Oh yeah, you have to find a boyfriend first before you can think about any of that." Cleopatra said with a giggle, "And with the way you act around people, that's never going to happen either,"

"What was that!?" Mordred said as she gritted her teeth, but Cleopatra just smiled as she narrowed her eyes. The prideful knight scoffed before crossing her arms, "I don't need something like that in my life."

Suddenly, Yang got Mordred in a headlock as they walked, "Ah come on, you got to have a little fun occasionally." Yang said as Mordred struggled to break free, "If you want, I can help you find someone hot."

"I don't need your help!" Mordred said as she broke free, her face slightly red as she turned back to Cleopatra, "Are we there yet?"

"Yes, just arrive." Cleopatra said as she stopped in front of a room with a large black door, "This room is only for more privileged students, but you two are with me, so you can come on in." The snake-haired queen said as she took out her class card and placed it on the door handle, unlocking it. She opened the door to reveal a room full of recreational and relaxation. A few soda machines were against the wall, adjacent to a couple of couches facing a large, flat screen television.

Sitting on one of the couches were two individuals. One was a girl wearing gi with a white upper half and navy-blue bottom with part of her thighs exposed. She had long beautiful hair tired in a ponytail and incredibly fair skin. In her hands were her scroll, which she held like a game controller. Her gaze was focused on the television as she was playing a video game, one where she was against hundreds of Grimm enemies. Her avatar resembled her own body but was slightly more armored and had a pair of long black horns protruding out her forehead. She hacked through the Grimm in the game with a large, spear-like weapon in her right hand and a red-bladed sword in her left. In the right-hand corner of the screen he phrases, "184 combos, perfect style."

Sitting next to the gaming girl was a young lady who appeared to be sleeping. Her exposed legs showed her darker skin as the rest of her body was covered in a white cloak with two drawn eyes near the where her head was covered. Atop her head poked out two purple canine ears pointed straight up, "Who are those two?" Yang asked as she followed Cleopatra towards them while Mordred made her way over to soda machines.

Cleopatra smirked as she walked over to the clocked sleeping girl, flicking the canine ear with her fingers. Suddenly, the girl woke up a pulled to clock off her body. She revealed her enormous purple hair, tied by what looked like a gigantic red bead. She body was still very exposed as she wore what appears as white cotton undergarments and gold jewelry. Around her neck was a blue and blond accessory and she had two red rectangles painted on her cheeks, "I'm up, I'm up!" The canine Faunus said as she quickly looked around the room in a panic.

"This is Nitocris," Cleopatra said as she crossed her arms, "She can be a bit ditzy at times, but she always works hard."

"Cleo, I need my beauty sleep," Nitocris said before yawning, "You know I come here after Professor Hari's Dance class. It always leaves my feet hurting."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't wear those to her classes." Cleo said as she pointed to Nitocris heels that seemed to add more than a few extra inches to her height, "It's really easy to trip in those."

"Yep, you would know," Yang said with a smirk as Cleo's eyes narrowed towards her. The blond berserker reached out her hand towards the canine Faunus, "I'm Yang."

"It's nice to meet you," Nitocris said with a smile. However, she soon sniffed something that gave her a look of confusion, "Uh, perchance, do you own a cat?"

"No," Yang responded as she then looked back at Nitocris' ears, then putting it together, "Oh, but I do have a friend you probably would have a hard time getting along with." She then tilted her head to look over to the gaming girl, who was still focused on the television. Yang turned back to Cleo, "She isn't very social, is she?"

"This is Tomoe Gozen, a highly skilled Archer class who also uses swords and naginata." Cleo said as she patted the gaming girl on the head, "She also holds most of the high scores of the games in this room. So yes, when she plays, she isn't very talkative."

"Oh, come on!" Tomoe said just her character was hit by a Grimm Beowolf slash, knocker her back and resetting the combo number to zero. She sighed before gritting her teeth and resumed attacking the Grimm in the game.

"I stand corrected," Cleo said with a smirk, "She's just not talkative with other people."

"That's fine I have been that way a few times before," Yang said as she hopped over the couch to sit next to Nitocris. She stretched out her body as she kicked up her feet on to the short table in front of her, "This room is nice, I now have a place to go to skip classes." She then looked over to Mordred, who was carrying a few sodas in her arms, "Pass me one," Yang said as she raised her right arm, "Lemon if you got it."

Mordred them tossed Yang a yellow can, which she caught and smiled. The prideful knight then passed a purple can to the canine Faunus, "Ah grape, favorite." Nitocris said with a smile as she as she opened the can. However, the soda shot out and sprayed her in the face, leaving her a bit dissatisfied. Yang leaned away to not get any soda on her.

"Huh, I guess they were little shaken up as it fell out the machine." Mordred said as she then passed Cleo a green can, "That one's lime."

"Thanks," the snake-haired queen said as she looked at the can in slight worry. She then tapped on the top of the can a few times before opening it, not meeting the same fate as Nitocris. She then looked over to the canine Faunus with a smile, "See, I told you that works." She said with a smile as Nitocris pouted as she wiped her face with the white clock.

Yang looked at her can and shrugged. She tapped on the top the same way Cleo did before opening the can. No soda shot out as she smiled, "Look at that." The blond berserker said in amazement, "Well, that's nifty." She said before taking a drink.

"Here's orange flavored," Mordred said as she placed the can in front of Tomoe on the table. The Gaming girl picked up the can with her left hand as her right-hand sill held onto the controller. She opened the can and quickly moved it to her mouth, chugging the contents as still tried to make eye contact with the television screen. After a few seconds, she finished off the soda and crushed the can in her left hand. The gaming girl then tossed the can behind her head as Yang watched where it was going to. The crushed can heads towards a small trash can, hitting the rim before bouncing in. Yang turned back to Tomoe with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice toss," Yang commented.

"Thank you," Tomoe said as she continued to increase her combo count in the game, slightly turning to Mordred, "To both of you"

"No problem," Mordred said as she laid on the adjacent empty couch, smiling as she looked at the last red can in her right hand.

"Funny," Cleo said as she looked at Mordred tapping on the can like they did, "The rumors about saying your usually not this nice to other people."

"Hey, I can be nice if I want to." Mordred said before opening the can of cherry soda, "I just felt like returning the favor for letting us hang out here."

"So, is this the rest your team?" Yang asked Cleo.

"No. You two already met Edmond, but my other two teammates are in classes now. I think they might be in one with one of your friends pretty soon." Cleo answered with a sigh before smiling, "All of us here are from different teams, but that doesn't mean we can hang out in a casual space."

"I'll drink to that." Yang said as she raised her can up high, the others giggled as they did the same, "To friends beyond borders and skipping morning class."

"Cheers!" All the girls said at the same time with a smile, expect Tomoe, who was still focused on her game trying to recover her combo number.

Yang then looked back near the door she came in and noticed it was opened. She then saw the svelte paladin Astolfo walking in his casual clothes, "Hey!" Yang called put as the Svelte Paladin turned around, "Where's my sister at?"

"Oh Ruby," Astolfo said as he entered the room with a sigh, "She's taking a shower and asked me to walk around until she was already dressed."

"Oh, okay," Yang said before she looked back to her lemon drink, taking a sip.

"I don't know what the big deal is." Astolfo said as he walked over to the vending machine, "I mean when we first meet, she was the one who walked in on me after I was just out of the shower." Suddenly, the room went silent as Yang stopped drinking her soda. Her grip on the can tighten as steam started to emit the opening in the can. Nitocris looked at the blond berserker's hair glow a brighter color, causing the canine Faunus to scoot herself as far away as she could from what was going to happen next, "Ay nice," Astolfo said as he picked up a pink can from the vending machine, "I love strawberry lemonade." He said before taking a sip.

"Hey Astolfo," Yang said in a serious voice as she looked over to him, her eyes covered by her bangs, "When you walked out of the shower, you put a towel on, right?"

"Yeah, of course." He said before tapping on the can, "But now that you mention it, my towel did fall off before Ruby passed out from exhaustion."

Suddenly, Yang's grip on the can tighten, even more, crushing it in her palm as the boiling lemon soda shoot out like steam, "So you exposed yourself to my little sister!" The blond berserker shouted as her eyes were red with rage.

"Ah…" Astolfo said as a line of sweat ran down his face, "Well, when you phrase it like that…" He said as he started to back up toward the door, "…I…got to go, bye!" He said frantically as he ran out the room.

"Get back here!" Yang shouted as she jumped on the couch and ran after the svelte paladin.

Back inside the room, the rest of the girls looked to the doorway with concern, "Will she be okay?" Nitocris asked the others.

"I don't think it's here you have to worry about." Cleo said before taking a sip of her drink, "And he looked like he was still recovering from a fight yesterday, so I don't think he can outrun her for long."

"I'll give him five seconds," Mordred said as she raised her left hand up, extending all fingers, she lowered one after the other as she talked, "Four…Three…Two…One."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The girls heard the painful scream of the svelte paladin in the distance accompanied by a loud bang.

"Oh," Nitocris said as recoiled in empathy of the painful cry, "Where did she hit him?"

"Where do you think?" Cleo, Mordred, and even Tomoe said sarcastically at the same time as they looked at the canine Faunus.

A few seconds later, Yang ran back to the room, her eyes back to normal and her hair was less luminescent, "Hey so, I need one of you call medical over here." She said with a slight giggle, "You see, Astolfo broke his…pelvis."

"Pelvis?" Nitocris said before she put it together, her long ears pointing straight up, "Ohhhhh."

"I'll make the call," Mordred said as she pulled out her scroll, "Yikes, I hate to think what she'll be like when Ruby starts dating." She said under her breath as Yang sat back on the couch.

 _Cinder._

At the Einzbern estate, Cinder already had on her combat uniform as she looked at herself in the mirror of the restroom. She focused on her eyepatch as she slowly removed it. Once removed, she saw that her eye was now healed. The black-haired archer smirked before tossing the eye-patch into the trash.

Cinder walked out of the restroom, she heard a voice, "That's an interesting back tattoo you have." She looked to her right to see Chloe leaning against the wall, her hands behind her head as she had a smirk on her face, "That black on your back, what does it mean?"

"Nothing a girl like you should worry about." Cinder said as she crossed her arms, then looking at Chloe's abdomen with the odd red symbol, "And what of that symbol?"

"Oh, this?" Chloe said with a smirk, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Well, I guess we have reached a stalemate," The black-haired archer comment, "But, I have lost my interest in the matter." She then started to walk away, causing Chloe to pout.

"Hey, wait up!" the red-mantled girl said as she followed Cinder, "Alright, alright." She said as Cinder smirked, "Mine is a magic circuit I learned to impress Shirou. It is one that bonds two individuals through a magical link. And since I did it, I have felt much closer to him." She said with a smile.

"Really?" Cinder said in slight intrigue, "You do seem to admire him a lot."

"Yeah," Chloe responded as she extended her arms. Suddenly, a purple flash appeared in both hands, creating Kanshou and Bakuya, "I also learned how to fake a couple of his weapon, they have been pretty useful in my fights lately."

"I see," Cinder said as she glanced back, looking to see Chloe's eyes, "Tell me, do you use a reality marble as he does?" She commented as she realized her eyes were goldish yellow.

"Uhh…yes and no?" Chloe said as she made the two blades disappear, "You see, my little symbol gives me a small link to his reality marble." Her comment caused Cinder to stop walking as she focused on the red-mantled girl, "I can still project my own weapons, but I store them in his world for safe keeping. He told me he doesn't mind." She then passed by Cinder as she closed her eyes, a line of sweat running down her face, "But, what he is upset about is the side effect of my magic."

"And what is that?" Cinder commented.

"Oh," Chloe said as she opened one eye, "I thought you weren't interested." A slight smirk formed on the red-mantled girl's face.

"Consider my mind changed," The black-haired archer responded, "You were saying?"

"Well," Chloe responded letting out a sigh and closed her eyes, "My circuit also has a shared pain perception. Meaning, when he gets hurt, I get hurt." She then opened them part way with a small smile, "But, I don't mind it that much. It means when he goes out on a mission, and I don't feel anything, it means he's safe." She then turned back to Cinder, "Besides, I cannot remove it if I wanted to, I'm not that skilled yet to do so." The red-mantle girl then had a slight chuckle in her voice, "And in the end, it makes Illya kind of jealous of me."

"I see," Cinder said with a sigh, "That is a disappointing side effect."

"Now, your turn." Chloe responded, "What does yours do?"

"Mine?" Cinder said with a slight giggle, "It is a symbol of power, a reminder for me of the costs I have made to become who I am today."

"Oh, that's boring." Chloe said in disappointment voice as she put her hands behind her head, "I mean I heard of back tattoos from some of the older kids at school. What was called again" She said as started to ponder, "Oh yeah, a tr-"

Suddenly, Cinder turned around and covered Chole's mouth with her right hand. The black-haired archer had a slight smile as her eyes were closed, "You're too young to say such words." She then opened her eyes, showing them glowing in an orangish light, "And for the record, my tattoo is not that." She said before letting go of Chole.

"Yikes, I'm sorry," Chole said as Cinder's eyes returned to normal. She watched as Cinder turned around and walk away, "I guess you're a little too old to be called that anyway." Suddenly, Cinder turned around with her eyes radiating a fiery aura. The black-haired archer saw Chloe put her right-hand fingers to her lips. The red-mantle girl's eyes glowed with a yellow light as she smiled, "Bye Bye." She said right before blowing a kiss and vanishing into thin air.

"Uh," Cinder had a look of confusion as she examined the area. she then sighed as she closed her eyes. Upon opening them, they returned to their normal color, "So, she has a wealth of power all to herself that she likes to take advantage of." She said before grinning, "She really does remind me of when I was that age."

 _Glynda._

Back at the school ground, Glynda followed Medea down the hall towards the staff lounge. However, the Head of Recourses wore a different attire. She had on a purple dress, the arms up to the shoulder were a dark shade than the rest of the body. Her hands and left arm were covered with a black mesh as she wore large silver wrist charms. Over here chest was a large gold piece of jewelry in what looked like the shape of a bird.

"I wanted to thank you again for helping me prepare to form my lesson plan today." Glynda commented to Medea, "You help allowed me to start my class a little sooner than I thought."

"It's no problem," Medea responded, "I do wish there were more female professors here." She then sighed as she started to hear bickering towards their destination, "All of the men here are too loud for me to concentrate."

"I can understand your pain," Glynda commented, "Some of my colleagues can let their egos get the better of them," she then had a slight smile, "I swear, I feel like some of them turn into wild animals."

Suddenly, she heard a lion-like roar coming from in front of her. Glynda had a look of worry as she quickly called her riding crop to her hand. However, she had a look of confusion as Medea sighed, "Don't worry, that's not a Grimm." She said before walking down the hall. Glynda remained confused but decided to deconstruct her weapon. She followed Medea to the staff lounge, where she saw the origin of the roar.

Sitting at the table was an incredibly buff man wearing blue spandex. He had silver armor on his shoulders and elbows but had a gigantic gold star across his chest that had a hole in the center. Glynda could tell he was a lion Faunus, but not one kind she had seen before. His head was pure white with the mane and facial features of the beast, but his eyes were blue and focus on the person across from him.

Sitting across the lion-man was a person dressed in a darker blue. However, his attire was more refined and sophisticated. He also wore a wore a dark blue long coat on his shoulder. His left hand had on a white glove, while his right had some sort of metal contraption with copper coilings on his fingers that seemed to emit some electricity. His long black hair was slicked back, but two long sections of his hair glowed with a light blue color, matching his eyes as he glared at the lion-man, "I told you not to roar while in this room, this is a place meant to be civilized." The electric man said as his right arm sparked more.

"My roar is a symbol of my pride!" The lion-man responded, "To silence that is to silence me entirely."

"And what is so wrong with that?" The electric man said with a smirk, "All you do is argue how your direct current method is better than may alternating current method for supplying electricity to the far-off towns." He then had a smile on his face as he crossed his arms, "The headmaster knew I was right, that's why he went with my method. That is why I'm in charge of Communications and Academy Power and you are a professor of physics. I do weep for the students of your class."

"The headmaster only gave you that position because he knew no student could stand you as a professor." The lion-man declared as he stood up, stretching out his arms, "Mark my words, all of Apocrypha will flow with direct current electricity one."

"You are a foolish man if you think that day will ever happen!" The Head of Communications said as he stood up, slamming his hands on the table. His right arm gauntlet began to spark violently with electricity. He glared at the lion-man, who growled back as he scowled.

The two stood in a moment of intense focus as Medea sighed, "Every morning with these two." She said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I need my coffee." She said as she walked over to the brewing pot on the counter.

"Good morning Medea," The lion-man said as the Head of Recourses walked by. He then turned to see Glynda in the doorway, "Oh, and you are the new professor visiting from Vale!" He said joy slightly bowing, "I'm Tomas Aval Edison, King of Inventors, and Professor of Physics this Academy."

"I overheard," Glynda commented, "I had seen Faunus of this land with multiple animal traits before, but I never knew anyone who looked like you."

"Oh," Edison said as he blushed, "Well, I am a very proud man, one who stands by his fellow Faunus in this world." He said as he put his knuckles on his hips, standing tall "I also use a special shampoo in my mane every morning, it's what gives it a healthy shine." He then glared over at the electric man, "Unlike some people, I value my appearance as a symbol of hope to all of our students."

"Ha," The electric man said with a single laugh, "All you resemble is a big, furry, action figure." He turned to talk towards Glynda as Edison glared and growled, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nikola Tesla, Head of Communications and Academy Power, and a godlike genius as well." He said as he extended his right arm. Glynda looked down at the contraption in slight confusion, "Oh, you may be wondering what this it. It is my greatest invention. I call it the Legend of Mankind, a rather fitting name to match its greatness." He then gave a slight smile to the professor from Beacon, "Don't worry, I won't shock you."

Glynda looked at the arm before looking back up towards Tesla, glaring at him as she adjusted her glasses, "I see, I have met your kind before."

"Pardon?" Tesla inquired.

"Those who boast highly of their own allocation, as if that somehow makes them feel more entitled. There is a thin line between pride and arrogance, just because you have your way, doesn't mean the other should be disregarded." She said as Tesla had a look of slight surprise, leading Edison to giggle. However, his giggling stopped as she turned to face the lion-man, "And you, raising your voice is never a valid counter-argument. Just because you are the loudest one in the room, that doesn't mean you are right." Her comments caused Edison's expression to change, resembling that of a sad kitten. She then sighed as Medea walked over carrying two cups of coffee, passing one to Glynda, "Thank you," Glynda responded to the Head of Recourses, "I now see that, regardless of the region, all men turn everything into a measuring contest." She said before sipping the coffee and walking back down the hall.

Medea turned to see the two men in shock as they remained silent, causing her to smile, "I really like her." She said with a chuckle before following Glynda out of the room.

A few seconds later, Tesla cleared his throat before turning to Edison, who had sat back down. The head of communication walked over to his seat before looking back at the lion-man, "…What did she mean by measuring contest?" he asked with Edison having an uncertain look, "If she was referring to the measurement of distance covered via current, then I am the winner." Tesla said as he crossed his arms, "Yes, that is what she meant."

"That is nonsense!" Edison said as he stood up, "She was referring to height. He who stands the tallest stands the proudest." He said putting his knuckles on his waist, "It is a simple fact, one you are too arrogant to understand."

"That's idiotic and doesn't make sense." Tesla said as he also stood up, "Besides, I would be taller than you if you shaved that ridicules mane."

"Don't you dare talk about my mane like that!" Edison responded as his eyes flared up, showing his fangs. Tesla glared back at the electricity on his right arm sparked more than ever before.

 **AN: There you go, that is the end of the chapter. Since** **Nitocris has the ears of a jackal, she is a canine faunus in this continuity. However, I could not decide on if I wanted to have Tomoe have her horns, since that is a bit more complex to explain. So, since fate series decided that she is a character that loves video games, her in game avatar she has when she plays games has the horns. Her weapons and fighting style are all still in her character, but she bases them off the game she was playing as her inspiration here. Now, Yang has her little group she hangs out with and proves how protective of Ruby she really is. Astolfo will be out of commission for a little bit but will still recover. You'll notice that I did an intention change to Chloe's Sharing of Pain Curse here, linking it to Archer rather than Illya. It's mainly for they story reason you can tell in the context of this chapter, plus I do like her foiling how Cinder views Chloe as herself at that age. And Glynda proves again how focused she can be when some people try to hit on her. Tesla and Edison have their eternal debate as they but heads with each other. Both are interesting character, but they also have some weird design choices. Which is my ending question, what character has the weirdest design, not necessarily bad, just someone you would never have guessed who it is meant to represent? However, I don't see many that can top the lion-man Edison.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	32. Chapter 30 - The Meeting

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is a very dialogue heavy chapter with the many characters discussing the conflicts that have happened over the story so far. They talk about theories and what they will be doing in the future. It may be a little boring to some, but I kept it interesting with a few new characters introduced here.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 30 – The Meeting**

 _Jeanne._

Jeanne followed Zhuge Liang down a hallway in a less occupied section of the school. The female Arc grabbed her right hand with her left, trying to stop it from shaking. To her right was Amakusa, who did not make eye contact with her, but had a small grin, "You seem somewhat nervous," Amakusa said, "The headmaster's elite advisors are nobody to be intimidated by, despite their overwhelming abilities and intellect." He then had a slight chuckle in his voice, "However, I have heard that the headmaster made this group because these individuals were too dangerous to be professors for the students."

"That is not true," Zhuge Liang responded before sighing, "This boy is taking too much after Kotomine now." He said under his breath as the head student of the church closed his eyes while smiling, "This meeting is nothing to be scared about Jeanne, it is simply routine when a situation like this happens."

"There has been a situation like this before?" Jeanne asked.

"…No." The headmaster responded, "But we need to treat it with caution."

"Hey There!" The group turned around to see Drake had called to them, running to catch up, "Just in time for the meeting." She said with a smile.

"Drake, please take this a bit seriously," Zhuge Liang said as he picked the bridge of his nose.

"Relax, you don't need so tense all the time. You should learn to enjoy life a bit like your buddy, Iskandar does." Drake responded as rolled her right shoulder, "He and I are going for drinks later, you want to come along."

"No," Zhuge Liang said as the four reached the end of a hallway seeing a large metallic door with a circular blue lock. He took out his class card and placed it over the lock, causing it to light up, unlocking the door. Jeanne looked passed the headmaster to inside the room. Inside was a large circular table, made of a white marble, with the large odd symbol on the center. Multiple chairs surrounded the table, some empty, while others were occupied. The door closed behind them, flashed a blue light for a few seconds before fading.

In the far-right side of the table was Sherlock taking with a tanned skinned man wearing a white cape. He attire was mostly black with many gold and blue accessories. His chest remained exposed, showing off his six-pack abdominal muscles to the world, as if they had a shine to them, "Have you ever considered a shirt, Ozymandias?" Sherlock commented.

"A shirt? Ha!" Ozymandias retorted placing his right hand on his chest, "As King of Kings, I would not want to rob the world of such a majestic sight. It is the proof of perfection, I personify a brilliance matched only by the sun itself." The King of Kings said as he then moved his right hand to his face, resting his knuckles on his chin, "You would not cover up the sun, would you?"

"No, that could have a catastrophic effect on the entire world." Sherlock commented with Ozymandias gain a slight smirk, "However, the sun sets every day." He said with the King of King's expression changing to slight annoyance, "If the sun were out all hours of every day, the world burns up. Time would be nearly impossible to predict, every creatures sleep cycle would be greatly affected, and many more negative effects will occur." The master analyzer said as Ozymandias crossed his arms, "In short, you would not want to cover up the sun, but it does not always need to be exposed to the people." He said with a smile as he concluded.

"…screw you, I like my abs." The King of Kings said with indignation before looking away from Sherlock.

In the far-left corner, Kiritsugu was chatting with a young man wearing a white cloak top and black pants with golden lining. The man's white hair was disheveled but incredibly long as it ran down his back. He had a somewhat calming smile as he looked to the head of special operations, "Have you ever bought your wife flowers Emiya?" he said in a soft voice, "They are a symbol of love, you know."

"Of course. I did so when we first started dating." Kiritsugu responded his arms crossed, "You should know Merlin, it was from your old flower shop."

"Yes, as I am the Magus of Flowers, I still run that shop in my spare time." Merlin said as his smile remained peaceful, "But you have not stopped by recently." He then closed his eyes with a slight giggle, "Do you not love her as much as you used to?" Merlin's comment caused Kiritsugu to glare at him, but the Magus of Flowers remained tranquil, "I will make sure she gets a bouquet of Roses from you, everyone loves roses."

"Fine," Kiritsugu responded with a sigh, "Just add it to my account."

"Certainly," Merlin responded, his smile still peaceful.

In the corner of her eye, Jeanne then spotted Dr. Roman chatting with a beautiful woman across from them. She wore an outfit with puffy shoulders, a red miniskirt, and blue stockings. A matching blue glove cover almost all her right arm, while her left arm had on a dark metal gauntlet of some sort. She was laughing as Dr. Roman had an uneasy smile, "Da Vinci, you should really stop eavesdropping on the students." He with her wiping a tear from her eyes, "I mean, it's not that funny what happened to the young Astolfo."

"Oh, Romani, of course it is." Da Vinci responded, "Even with how high of luck he has, he still fell victim to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That lead to him paying the ultimate price." The perky advisor said as Romani sighed, "Besides, from what I have heard, it was because he did not properly tie his towel around his waist after exiting the shower, leading it to fall off." She then placed her right hand on her chest, "I do not have to worry about that problem, as I do not use a towel after a bath." She said as she closed her eyes while smiling, "It is such a freeing feeling to walk around with no shame, letting the wind dry my body naturally makes me feel a purifying sensation on every nerve." She opened her eyes to look over to the head of Medical and Admissions Department, "Can you picture it Romani?"

"…Da Vinci, you shouldn't do that. You can get sick that way." Dr. Roman said as he had his right hand on his face, covering up how red it was turning, "At least, make sure your room is locked beforehand."

"Haha, it is too easy sometimes Romani," The perky advisor said with a giggle as he lowered his hand. She then looked to her right seeing a woman wearing a bright red military jacket, white gloves, and a black skirt. Her gaze was somewhat piercing as she looked with her lightish red eyes. Her hair was pink with a ponytail tied back upward by a black ribbon, "You know, I wonder what would have happened to Astolfo if Nightingale was still the nurse to the academy." She said with a smile as Dr. Roman had a look of horror, "Do you think she would have amputated his-"

"AH, Zhuge Liang!" Dr. Roman said as he stood up, facing the group that had just entered, "I didn't see you there, I guess we can start the meeting now. Right?" He said with a line of sweat running down his face, leading to Da Vinci covering her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"Yes, Doctor." Zhuge Liang said as he walked over to take a seat at the table, followed by those he arrived with. As all ten members were seated, the Headmaster placed his placed his hand on the table. The odd symbol on the center line up as blue lines passed over the entire room. After a few seconds, the lines faded, "Now, this room has been sealed so the no outside forces can listen to our conversation." The Headmaster said before interlocking his fingers as he lowered his head, his eyes closed, "The past few days have been more drama than I could have thought possible." He then placed his right hand on the table, causing the blue light to form holograms of what who he was about to mention, "First, we have the growing issue of this Humanoid Grimm congregating in near a far-off town. Some of which the locals have spotted and are reposting in a panic."

"Kotomine wanted me to come here on his behalf," Amakusa interjected, "He has decided to travel to meet with these beings and try to converse with them. Wanting to see if they are truly hostile or not."

"Why would he want to do that?" Kiritsugu commented, "I am the one who discovered their movement."

"He said you might say that," The head student of the church commented, "And he said that if you went, it would have ruined any chance of making peace with them." His remark caused Kiritsugu to glare at him, "Do not worry, he brought along Bazett to help him if things turn chaotic."

Zhuge Liang sighed before he continued to lead in the discussion, "While I do not like Kotomine's attitude on the matter, I do agree that someone of the church should be our representative. I hope they do not get themselves killed on this mission." The headmaster said before turning to Kiritsugu, who was unfazed by this comment. He sighed again before continuing, "Then we have Drake's discovery of Heracles, or what she believes was him."

"Well, that issue is already resolved. I just wanted to report it." Drake said as she crossed her arms and smiled, "I made sure he will not be coming back."

"Really?" Merlin commented back, "Because your report said the creature could regenerate, even past death. Are you sure you killed him for good?"

"I blew up the island with him!" Drake responded, "That's a death you cannot come back from."

"In any case, we still have more issues to address." Zhuge Liang interjected, leading him creating a hologram of The Grimm Dragon, causing Jeanne to focus in on it, "Gawain's mission revealed what had happened to Siegfried. However, turning into a Grimm Dragon was not something I was impossible."

"Well, in theory, it is possible," Sherlock commented, causing all in the room to look at him is confusion. He made a slight chuckle as he continued, "Why, it is elementary in fact."

"How so?" Zhuge Liang responded.

"All you have to do is understand the concept of a Riders Skill in relation to Grimm," Sherlock responded, "As well all know, Riders have the class ability to turn Creatures of Grimm into personal mounts to use as their own Noble Phantasm. The process involves imbuing part of the Rider's aura into the creature change its form to one that matches the Rider's own identity as a new being." He then crossed his arms as he looked to the hologram Grimm Dragon, "Now, we have the same formula, but change a few signs and variables. Instead of a Grimm, we have a person. Instead of infusion of aura, you are shoving in the essences of Grimm itself into the person. And instead of the product being an animal, you have a monster of immeasurable power. One that is only fueled by the same negative emotions that compose a Grimm." He then turned to the group with a casual smile, "As I said, elementary."

"I see when you phrase it like that." Zhuge Liang said as he crossed his arms, "Then, it is possible that the what remained of Siegfried's soul was still in his Grimm's body. He was able to somewhat stop himself, even with all the torment he must have gone through."

"Can he be changed back," Jeanne spoke up, "Is it possible someone of a Rider class can reverse this somehow?"

"Riders cannot undo their creations, it doesn't work that way." Ozymandias commented, "You would need a skilled Caster Class to do so."

At that moment, Da Vinci was about to speak up. However, Merlin was slightly ahead of her, "I will offer to research this matter, going to see what spells will work on him."

"Very well, Merlin will head research into how we can reverse Siegfried's transformation." The Headmaster said with Da Vinci pouting as she looked at the Magus of Flowers, who had a peaceful smile on his face. Zhuge Liang then moved his hand on the table, showing an image of Jaune Alter, "Now, we have to discuss the case of these so-called Alters."

"Isn't that your brother?" Amakusa asked Jeanne, but she shook her head. He then noticed a glare of hatred towards the hologram.

Jeanne stood up as she now led in the discussion, "On the mission yesterday to defend the nearby towns, my team encountered a person who resembled my brother, calling himself his Alter. He was responsible for the death of multiple townspeople and almost killed us if not for Professor Gawain arriving when he did. Professor Gawain then mentioned that the Alter's last words were that, 'others will come as more are made' before disintegrating similar to that of a Grimm's corpse."

"As more are made?" Nightingale finally spoke up, "How was this one made, Jeanne's brother only arrived a couple of days ago."

"Yes," Jeanne said as continued, "However, one event happened the day before yesterday that has been in the back of my mind ever since I saw this Jaune Alter." She then sighed before continuing, "You see, my brother fell into a pool of Grimm…essence, or what we thought was that." She then focused in on Dr. Roman, "But I don't think it was that, was it?"

"You're right." The head of medical responded as he put his hand on the table, showing topographical of the land, "Caren already studied the substance and found nothing of note. I did my check and found nothing also. However, I then looked at the 'where' instead of the 'what.'" He said before the map showed a few black dots around the perimeter of the forest. "Using one of Solomon's golems, I discovered piles of the same gunk are found almost exclusively on the outside border of the forest." He then looked over to Drake, "They are spread out pretty far, so your group never encountered them. Only teams patrolling the forest borders could run into a couple every now and then."

"But, you would have to be an idiot to fall into one." Nightingale said, causing Jeanne to go silent, "No offense to your brother." She said to the female Arc.

"I believe that might have been our enemy's plan," Sherlock commented as he placed his right hand to his chin, "Hide a trap so inconspicuously that anyone who sprung it would not want to tell others about what happened or even care that it happened. Even if a thousand people passed by one, if just one falls in, they have an Alter capable of destroying a town in a single day."

"In any case, I was able to analyze them at a larger sample size. The gunk seems to be infused with some magic that hides its pretense, making it hard to spot the details unless you are looking at a more concentrated amount. From that, I discovered what this stuff really is." Dr. Roman continued, "It is a type of bacteria-based Grimm that feeds on the aura. It only needs a small amount, nothing a person would take notice of, but it uses it to form a body resembling that of the person. This Alter represents that opposite mental and moral status of the original, while keeping the same skills, but amplifies them with the ferocious nature of a Grimm. That is just the theory, but I think we have evidence of its truth." Dr. Roman said before looking to Kiritsugu, "Their nature and appearance seems different from the humanoid Grimm you had spotted."

"Yes, I looked at your research and don't think they are related." Kiritsugu said before he sighed, placing his hand on the table, "However, what I found is a bit more concerning. You see, seven years ago, an unknown event led to a town being destroyed in a large explosion. A small team investigated with the help of a professor at the time. Then, the group found pools of these black gunk right before fighting a humanoid Grimm."

"Our archives could match this new substance with that of the one discovered seven years ago." Dr. Roman commented.

"Correct, and like just a few days ago, a person was covered in the gunk." Kiritsugu said before pulling up an image of the King of Knights, "That person was Arturia Pendragon." The room went silent as they looked at the image of Arturia.

"I see," Sherlock was the first to speak back up, "Jaune Alter did say others will come as more are made. That implies that not only will there be more Alters in the future, but some already exist." He then looked back to the head of special operations, "You are saying that one of those is Arturia's Alter, one that has been aging for seven years now."

"Her report back then mentioned she escaped the bacteria-based Grimm, but it was never noted if the slime fully disintegrated." Kiritsugu responded, "You mentioned assuming to me before has its problems, but this is something we cannot ignore now."

"If it was formed back then," Nightingale commented, "Why did it not attack right away like Jeanne's brother's did?"

"Professor Gawain noted that Jaune Alter said he wanted a head start on the rampage." Jeanne responded, "When the rampage was going to start is still unknown."

"So, they have a plan that has been at least seven years in the making." Drake added on, "We still don't know who made these slimeballs."

"My guess is that it would be the mastermind to this whole plan against Apocrypha." Merlin continued, "Our true enemy in this battle is still a mystery."

"In the end, we still have more information than I think our enemy wants us to have." Zhuge Liang before placing his hand on the table, clearing it of all images, "We will use that as our advantage going forward to prepare for their next move." The Headmaster said before turning to Dr. Roman, "I need you continue your research on these Alters, finding a way to dispel them if possible."

"Understood." Dr. Roman said with a nod.

"I'll help with his research," Da Vinci added on with a smile, "Two brilliant minds are better than one."

Zhuge Liang nodded before looking to Nightingale, who already stood up, "I will go out and eliminated this bacteria Grimm piles around the forest. Then, I'll return to medical to keep an eye out for anyone who has reposted falling into these piles of black gunk in the past and will wait to treat those in the future."

"That is fine, just…be careful with the students." Zhuge Liang said before looking to Ozymandias, "And I will need you to remain at the academy for the foreseeable future. If an attack does happen, I do not want it to be without at least one of us here at all times." He said with the King of Kings giving a slight smirk.

"I already know my job," Merlin said as he stood up, a blissful smile on his face, "I will take my leave now."

"I will look into Arturia's case a bit more," Kiritsugu said as he stood up, "There isn't much since she went missing a year ago."

"Work with Shishigou on the case, he was close with her after her disappearance." The Headmaster added on, "But do keep this information away from Mordred of all people, I do not want to think this might do to her." He said with the head of special operations nodding. Zhuge Liang then turned Sherlock, "You will focus on the discovering our primary enemy, anything of value you learn, report it to me."

"As you wish," Sherlock said as he stood up, placing his right hand on his chest, and bowing, "Despite the lack of information, I will not fail you."

Zhuge Liang then turned to the two students, "Both of you are in a difficult situation. I will need you to keep quiet about this matter and report anything you find as suspicious." He said as the two stood up, "With this transfer program happening now, I would issue the students return to their kingdoms. However, that gives us more attention than we need at the moment. So, watch over them carefully."

"Of course," Amakusa responded with a slight bow.

"Yes sir," Jeanne responded, "My friends on that mission also have told me they will not speak of the fight with Alter Jaune to anyone. But…I will make sure to not tell them about all of this." Her hesitation caused Zhuge Liang to focus his gaze a bit on her.

"And I guess I'll keep quiet about all of this also," Drake said as she stretched out her arms.

"Also, do not take any other students on missions overseas for a while." Zhuge Liang added on, causing Drake to lose her balance in the chair out of shock, triggering her to fall out. She quickly got up to glare at him, "Just until we sort this issue out fully."

Drake sighed before walking away, "You're no fun." She said before meeting the others at the door.

The large door opened, flashing the same blue light as before, prompting the group to leave. However, Zhuge Liang looked to see the female Arc at the end of the line, her eyes looking at the ground, "Jeanne." He said, causing her to stop as the others walked out, "Was there something else you wished to discuss?"

"N-no." Jeanne responded, "I'm just…not used to keep secrets like this. Especially from those I care about."

"I understand your concern," Zhuge Liang responded, "If you ever need to talk, come and find me or one of the advisors. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Jeanne said with a slight smile, "Thank you, Headmaster." She said before walking out of the room.

Zhuge Liang sighed before looking at the table, his eyes tired as he waited in the room alone, "After today, maybe I should have go out for a drink." He said to himself before taking out his pocket watch and looking the time.

 **AN: There you go a meeting with the rest of the Elite Advisors. Ever since the event FGO, I really liked Da Vinci's character a lot more. She is so fun to write, and I will do more with her in the future. She is a bit of troll, but not as much as Merlin is, who I want to try and give a different description every time I write him smiling. Nightingale didn't do much now, but she will have more to do in the future. She has a lot of potential for dialogue with another certain character I have in mind. And Ozymandias proves the male sade of Medb's argument from a few chapters ago, (kind of like with Sun from RWBY, I wanted to make sure it's know he likes his abs). Jeanne now has gone full circle. She was not in on the secret with her brother, then learned it, now she must keep this secret from everyone. Sherlock goes in his own investigation as Kiritsugu and Shishigou study what happened to the King of Knights. And Zhuge Liang is showing his exhaustions over what has happened to his land in just three days.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	33. Chapter 31 - Perspectives

**Chapter 31 – Perspectives**

 **AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. I want say thankyou for all the support this story has gotten now. It is awesome, and I am truly grateful for you checking it out. This chapter has a lot of stuff going on with a couple of character interaction about some important topics. It also shows reveals what the connection is between Mercury and Ushiwakamaru, as well as showing off a new character. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 _Atalanta._

In the cafeteria of the academy, Blake sat next to Kiyohime. Across the two was Atalanta, who was eating from a plate of apple tarts, "Thank you for making these." The lioness Faunus said as she looked over at the Kiyohime, seeing her with a joyful smile as she hummed. "Your trip went well?"

"Oh, very well." Kiyohime said with a smile, "I have never felt this happy in my life, now that I have my Ren."

"I'm glad to hear that." Blake commented, she then looked at a far-off table seeing Ren chatting with Robin and Achilles with a smile on his face, "He seems to be happy as well." She then looked back to Kiyohime, who had her eyes half opened as she looked at her with a smirk, "What?"

"Oh, well, when I came back." Kiyohime said with a slight giggle, "Heard you caught the attention of Achilles."

"Not you too," Blake said with a sigh, "I don't know how this rumor started or how it grew so quickly."

"That happens a lot here," Atalanta said before eating a tart.

"You know," Kiyohime said as she talked to Blake, but glanced over to Atalanta, "You can ask her for advice on dating him. Since those two were a thing." Her commented caused the lioness Faunus to somewhat chock on her tart, "Ow, too much apple."

"We were not a thing," Atalanta said before she coughed. She then noticed Black had a look of inquiring on the topic, "Okay, back in our first year, he and I did date for about mouth not long after teams were formed." She then sighed as she continued, "However, we both realized it was not a good idea to date someone on the same team. It just makes too much drama and would have affected our fighting. So, we just decided to stay friends and nothing more."

"What about Penthesilea?" Blake inquired.

Atalanta sighed again before continued "She did the same thing to me as she is doing to you know." The lioness Faunus them picked up another tart, "However, she stopped when it was known that I took a vow of chastity." She said before she was about to eat the tart, "Then, she left me alone."

"Oh, I don't think I can do that." Blake responded, causing Kiyohime to smirk, "I mean-" She said as her face turned slightly red, but the others started to chuckle. Soon after, even Blake had a laugh at the situation.

"It's okay, I understand what you meant." Atalanta said as she slowly stopped laughing, "You do seem to be having a lot of fun here, aren't you?"

"I am," Blake responded, "This land doesn't have the Faunus drama the other kingdoms do."

"Oh yes, the group called the White Fang." Kiyohime commented, "We heard about them, but none of their members ever came here." She then put her right hand to her chin, "However, I have heard some students went to join up with their cause recently."

"But why," Blake asked, "This Kingdom wasn't involved in the conflict between the other four. Human and Faunus relationships are better here than at Vale. Why are they joining the White Fang?"

"Some people want to fight for other's sake, that's one of the core things they teach here." Atalanta responded, "I would join them if they were fighting for the rights of children, even regardless of Faunus or not."

"I would join they were fighting for human and Faunus marriage." Kiyohime said, soon after her face started to turn red as she put her hands on her cheek, "Oh! What am I saying, I was just?" She said as she giggled, "I'll go get us some water." The draconic Faunus said before she got up and walked away.

"I don't think you understand." Blake said to Atalanta, "The White Fang was a group of righteous Faunus. However, they have changed to a more violent method under new leadership."

"…Blake," Atalanta said in a regretful tone, "Sometimes, you have to fight for what you truly believe in. Even if you end up hating yourself..." Atalanta's next words caused the black cat Faunus to glare at her, "You cannot run away if you don't like the situation's outcome."

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Blake responded, "Sometimes, the better option is to run away. Just stay and hate myself? Live in regret about what I did? That's absurd." She then stood up as Atalanta had a shocked expression, "I have met someone who thought the same way you did, and it took them down a dark path. A path I don't want to walk down, even if it means running in the opposite direction." She then turned to her right as she started to walk away, "I'm going to go to the room to study for classes. Please just…. let me study alone."

A few seconds passed, "…And you just let them?" Atalanta responded in a calm voice, causing Blake to stop, "You let the person walk down that dark path, alone. Knowing you could have tried something to protect them but didn't want to take the risk. So, you ran away. But more accurately, you gave up on that person." Blake clenched her fists as the lioness Faunus continued, "You may not hate yourself Blake, but you seem to blame yourself for a lot of things. Or rather, the things you didn't do. That can do a lot more damage to yourself than you think." A silence fell between the two, then Blake relaxed her hands before walking away.

A few seconds later, Kiyohime returned with a tray of a few cups and a craft of water, "Where's Blake?" She asked as Atalanta took a cup.

"She went to go study," Atalanta responded, "She just needs some space to think about some things." She then took a cup of water, her eyes slowly filling with dread, "While she is doing that, I need to go and have an important conversation with someone in a little bit."

"Oh, I wanted to talk with her more," Kiyohime responded before looking over to the group of guys, "I wonder what they are talking about?"

 _Achilles._

"So, she broke it!?" Achilles asked Ren, who nodded "Man, poor Astolfo."

"Yang is not someone to get angry," Ren responded as he ate from a plate of apple tarts.

"I'll bet," Robin added on, "The same goes for your girlfriend Kiyohime." He said as he picked up one of the tarts, "My advice, don't even liar to her." He said before biting into the tart.

"Yeah," Achilles said with a nod, "Once, I told her it was a loose Grimm in the school that made its way into her room and wrecked it while she was off on a mission."

"What was the truth?" Ren asked.

"Oh, I got back drunk and thought it was my room." the young hero responded before grabbing a tart, "She believed it also until Atalanta told on me." He said before biting into the tart, "Nearly burned me alive."

"Hey, I'll take that over what happened to Astolfo." Robin Hood retorted after finishing her tart.

Achilles had a small laugh before he swallowed his tart, "Yeah, it does make me curious how strong this Yang is." He responded with a smile, "I heard she fought Penthesilea to a stalemate, that's not bad." He then looked back to Ren, "Also, is she seeing anyone?"

"Uhh, I don't know?" Ren said in an uncomfortable voice, "I thought you were into Blake?"

"Oh, I'm just curious. There's no harm in that." Achilles responded, "Besides, it makes Atalanta jealous. That's a plus."

"And you wonder why she dumped you." Robin responded in a sarcastic voice, "I was surprised you two lasted as long as you did."

"Hey, she didn't dump me." Achilles responded back, "It was a mutual breakup, we are still friends." He said before sighing, "But, I want to try again. To do so, I need to remind her valuable I am to her happiness."

"…By hitting on other girls?" Ren commented.

"Hey, it's a work-in-progress plan." Achilles retorted, "I'm still young, so I want to see if I click with other girls first. Atalanta has the same opportunities I have, so let her see if she finds someone else." He then had a single laugh as he reached for another tart, "But, with her personality standards, I doubt it." He ate another tart before looking at Robin, "What about you? Are you seeing anyone new?"

"No, I'm trying something a little different." Robin hood responded, "I'm going to let the girl make the first move instead. You know, try and be a little less abrasive."

"And how is that working with your new roommate?" Achilles asked with a smirk.

"Well, she's cute. Maybe should ask her out." Robin hood contemplated, "Nah, I'll let her make the first move. This prevents it from being awkward."

"…Wait," Ren said, "Isn't that the opposite advice you gave me with Kiyohime."

"Oh yeah," Robin said with a slight snicker. Ren had a look of confusion as Achilles started to giggle also.

 _Mercury._

In the Taiga dojo, Ruby sat next to Mercury as awkward silence was between the two. While the silver eyed girl had on the uniform of the dojo, with the addition of her cape, the grey-haired assassin still maintained his normal outfit.

"…So…" Ruby said as she tried to break the silence, "…you don't like the uniforms here?"

"No." Mercury bluntly responded, "I don't wear shorts."

"Why," Ruby asked, but Mercury just turned to her with a look of indignation, "Oh, sorry, I think I get it." She responded before he sighed. Ruby then looked at his legs, tilting her head slightly, "What type of metal are your fake legs out of."

"The 'stop talking to me, I don't like to talk about my legs, and I don't want to be your friend' kind of metal," Mercury said before taking out his scroll.

"Oh, a joke, I get it." Ruby said with an uneasy laugh, "My sister likes to make jokes a lot also. You know, you two also have a similar weapon design. If you want I could look at yours and-"

Mercury interrupted her, "Look, I don't mean to come off as abrasive, but shut up. I don't want to talk." He said with Ruby's expression changing to one of sadness and slight fear, "I have had a bad couple of days."

"I'm sorry," Ruby responded, causing Mercury to look away from her and back at his scroll. A silence fell between the two again for a few seconds. Ruby wanted to speak up but hesitated for an answer. Suddenly, she had an idea, "I know, my Uncle Crow said that when he has had a bad couple of days or even a couple of weeks, he likes to go to a bar and get something to drink." Suddenly, Mercury stopped what he was doing, his grip on his scroll tightening, "Yeah, you could probably do that in this region. That could take your mind off things. My uncle let me try a sip when I was young, but I didn't like it, it was too bitter."

"…Ruby." Mercury said as he was trying to hold back his anger, the frame of his scroll cracking, "Shut up."

"I-" She was saying up she saw Mercury crush his scroll in his hand, "Oh, okay. I'll…just say one last thing." She said with Mercury gritting his teeth as he put his broke scroll back in his pocket, "You can still talk…I'll just listen." She said before going silent.

A long while passed as neither of them spoke a word. But eventually, Mercury sighed before he spoke up, "…My dad was an alcoholic." He before turning to Ruby, how looked at him with slight worry, but did not speak a word, "He often said it was a way for him to cope with his special line of work, but I just think he wanted to be plastered most of the time." Mercury then looked down at his hands, cupping one in the other, "Then one night, he was about as angry as he was drunk. Of what I don't remember, nor do I care."

"…" Ruby did not say anything as she saw Mercury's legs shake, causing him to put his hands on them to stop.

"You draw your own conclusions, but I am glad he is no longer in my life anymore." Mercury said he turned back to the silver-eyed, "If you want to know about my mother, I never knew her. My old man took me to live in the woods for training before I got to know anyone else. Also, him forcing me to drink his crappy brew didn't help me retain a lot of good memories." His comment caused Ruby to pout, but she didn't speak a word, "…you can talk now, but keep it to a minimum."

"…Thank you, Mercury. For sharing, I mean." Ruby said, but Mercury was now the one who was silent.

Suddenly the two noticed one of the sliding doors open, noticing Fujimura Taiga walking in, "Sorry for the delay." She said with a smile, "Since Astolfo is out on injury and Gilgamesh paid the school so he does not have to take this class, I asked Li Shuwen to take a couple of students for training outside the dojo so this group could be a bit more balanced." As she walked in, Mercury noticed Ushiwakamaru walking behind her. She had glanced at him for a second, a look of shock come on her face.

"What is with her?" Mercury muttered as Ruby looked at him in confusion.

Following her in was another girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail. However, it was not as long as Ushiwakamaru and was also tied in the back, as well as a small metal accessory in the front. She wore a skin-tight black and dark-red outfit, a short black miniskirt, and a long red scarf. Most of her legs and arms had a metallic frame to them, causing both Mercury and Ruby to have a look of confusion, "Are those prosthetics?" Ruby asked the grey-haired assassin

"If so, it's a different model than mine." Mercury commented as she saw the shinobi girl sit next Ushiwakamaru, who still tried not to look at Mercury, "And what is her deal?"

"So, now we have an interesting class." Taiga said as went to the back corner of the room, "We have four students, each of a different team. Two newbies and two from this school, Also, it is a mix of Riders and Assassins." She said as she pulled out three Bamboo swords, tossed two of them in between the class, and kept the last one to herself, "That means, this test will be on your adaptive skills when the when fighting a foe of similar power. The first to take the advantage of this type of conflict usually wins." She then crossed her arms as she grinned, "In short, it's a two-on-two fight with Mercury and Ruby against Ushiwakamaru and Kato." She then looked down at the two bamboo swords, "Each team gets on a sword like this and that's all. And, as an added rule, if the sword breaks, you're out of the match." She then had a slight laugh, "But, a couple of you have other weapons I can't ask you to get rid of. Just use them in moderation." She then struck the floor with the end of her own sword, "You have a couple minutes to plan, use your time wisely."

Ruby got up and walked over to grab one of the swords while Mercury rolled his right shoulder. As she picked one up, she met Kato and Ushiwakamaru, picking up their team's sword, "Hello, I'm Ruby." The silver eyed girl introduced herself, looking to the samurai girl, "And you are Ushiwe...Ushiwake...Can I call you Ushi?"

"That's fine," Ushi responded as she picked up the bamboo sword.

"Please, call me Danzo," Kato responded, causing Ruby to nod her head.

Ushiwakamaru then glanced over to Mercury while he was not looking, her eyes focused as they showed slight worry. Ruby noticed and had a look of inquiry, "Uh, do you know him?"

"No!" Ushi responded almost instantly, "H-he and I have never met." She then backs up as she pulled Danzo with her, but the shinobi's expression remained content. "Sorry, we need to plan things now."

"Uh, okay," Ruby said in an unsure voice as she walked back to Mercury. He turned to her, waiting for some sort of response, "She said she doesn't know you."

"Well, I knew that. I don't know her either, apart from meeting her this morning." He responded, "It's like she can't look me in the eye."

"Maybe you remind her of someone?" Ruby guessed, before looking at the bamboo sword, "Either way, which of us should use this."

"I don't use weapons like that, you can have it," Mercury responded before he finished stretching. However, he looked over at Ruby starting at the weapon in disappointment, "What's wrong, you can't use a sword."

"No, it's not that." Ruby responded in a slightly unsure voice, "It's…just a boring weapon." She said with Taiga overhearing, having a look of anger at the comment, "I think I can manage." She said before holding her bamboo sword in both hands, the end of the dummy blade pointed the opposite direction to where she was facing, "I think I can hold it like this?" She said as he shrugged.

"Like I said, I don't use those things. I prefer hand-to-hand combat." Mercury said before he looked around the room they were in, "But this place is too cramped for me fire any of my wind dust effectively." He then turned back to Ruby, "You take the one with the sword, I'll fight the other." The silver eyed girl nodded in response.

"All right you four," Taiga announced before she was about to strike the floor with her bamboo sword, "Fight till you can't fight no more!"

Suddenly, Ruby saw Ushi running towards her with the bamboo sword. She held up the just in time to block the initial strike but was left in a stunned state. The exposed samurai tired a vertical slash. Ruby saw the incoming and instantaneously backed up, leaving a flurry of rose petals in her place. Ushi's slash continued to hit nothing as her expression changed to slight confusion. She then quickly located Ruby a few feet away from her, "The rumors were right, you are fast." Ushi said with Ruby slightly smiling, "But," Suddenly, Ushi vanished into thin air, leaving Ruby befuddled. The silver eyed girl's expression then changed to agony as she felt something stab her in the abdomen, pushing her back a foot before she fell to one knee. as she held her right hand over her stomach, she looked up to see Ushiwakamaru standing in front of her. The bamboo sword aimed at where it had struck Ruby, "I'm slightly faster." Ruby focused her gaze as she got up, readjusting her grip on her sword.

Mercury stood his ground against Kato, who had a somewhat relaxed stance as her right hand's pointer and index finger were extended and pointing upwards. The shinobi girl looked at him a cold stare, "Target locked." She said as she glared at him, "Identifying effective combat techniques."

"What is this chick's problem?" Mercury thought to himself, "She thinks a few metal implants make her a robot?"

"Here I come!" Kato declared before thrusting her arms back, causing Mercury to take a defensive position. Suddenly, as Kato thrust her fists forward, her forearms ejected from her body at high speed. The seemed to be rocket-propelled as metal cable still attached them to her body.

Mercury's eyes widened as he ducked to avoid the oncoming rocket punches. He looked back to see the two fists crash through a panel wall, "Hey!" Taiga shouted, "Don't destroy my dojo!"

Kato retracted her arms as Mercury gritted his teeth. Firing a blast of wind from his ankle gauntlets, he launched himself towards his opponent. He repositioned his body for a right spin kick as Kato's arms fully retracted. However, the shinobi girl then stretched out her body, expelling a steam from her arms and legs. Suddenly, her legs radiated an aura of wind as she slid on the souls of her feet. She swiftly dodged Mercury's attack and reposition herself at his right side. He looked at her to see a long metal blade jet out from her forearms. As she tired an x-shaped slashed against him, the grey-haired assassin shot a blast of wind from his left ankle gauntlet. The shot launched him into the air, dodging the strike. As he landed back on the floor a few feet from his opponent, he turned to the professor, "Hey, why does she have a weapon like that here?" he asked in a rage,

"Kato's prosthetics are part of her body, so she cannot get rid of them if I asked." Taiga responded, "Neither can you, so it is an even playing field." the dojo professor then had a slight grin, "I could have made not use your weapons since they are removable. But you have had a string of bad luck these days, I give you a pass."

"…Thanks." Mercury said with a sarcastic groan. He then looked back to Kato but discovered she wasn't there. He then looked up to see the shinobi girl in midair, her arm blades folded back in, but her fist pulled back like before. She launched her rocket arms like before towards the grey-haired assassin, but he jumped back to avoid the strike. Kato's fist crashed into the wooden floor, denting it a few inches, causing Taiga to scowl. Mercury then grinned as he ran over to the arms, grabbing then as he pulled them out of the floor.

Kato had a look of confusion until panic struck her. Mercury began to swing Kato by the cable still attached to her arms, crushing her body into the walls. The shinobi girl then gritted her teeth as looked over at her arms. Suddenly, Mercury heard a metallic sound coming from the arms. He then recollected what the arms could eject and dropped them. Before he could get slashed, the blades ejected from the arms before falling on the ground. Kato then recalled her arms as she rushed towards Mercury. The grey-haired assassin took a defensive stance as the shinobi girl began to slash at him. He parried blade with his prosthetics legs, causing his pant legs to become ripped.

Back to Ruby, she tried to strike at Ushi with her bamboo sword. However, the exposed samurai was able to dodge every attack. Ushi then clashed swords with Ruby, pushing her back with the rapidness of each swing. During her combo, she attempted another straight stab, but Ruby jumped back to dodge. However, the silver eyed girl quickly found herself backed against a wall a look of panic filling her face. She then turned back to Ushiwakamaru, whose eyes focused in on her opponent like a snake. The exposed samurai vanished in a flash before Ruby could react. Knowing she had mere seconds, Ruby had to think of a plan.

Suddenly, Ruby had an idea. She jumped and stabbed through the wall a couple of feet over her head. As Ushi reappeared a few feet in front of Ruby, her sword in mid-swing, a look of shock came over her as she saw Ruby swing her legs forward. The exposed samurai jumped at the last second to avoid the double kick. The momentum of Ruby's kick put her now above her embedded sword, standing on the wall. She then focused on Ushiwakamaru before tightening her grip. In an instant, she jumped forward, pulling out the sword, and left a large crake on the wall as she flew with a trail of rose petals behind her.

Ushiwakamaru readjusted her stance just before she and Ruby clashed bamboo swords. Neither one of them gave an inch on the collision, but the bamboo began to break. Ushi ducked just as she heard a snapping sound. As she did so, Ruby still flew forward before rolling on the ground. The exposed samurai looked at her bamboo sword, discovering it was broken with the other half on the floor. She then turned back to see Ruby exhaustedly pushing herself up, the bamboo sword in her hand was cracked but still in one piece. Ushiwakamaru smiled as she looked at Ruby, "I see, letting one swing decide everything was a reckless gambit." She said with Ruby slightly giggling, "But, it was an interesting strategy."

"Yeah," Ruby said before turning to Mercury and Kato's fight, "I'm coming to help you now."

The two then turned to see Mercury continued to fight with Kato, his pantlegs showing multiple rips from all the slashes of the shinobi's arm blades, "No, I got this." As Mercury gritted his teeth in frustration, Kato remained focused. However, her eyes soon glowed in wonderment as she began to blush. Mercury had a look of confusion as he noticed her assault had stopped. Her then looked done at his plants to see that most of his prosthetic legs were exposed, "What?" He said as he looked at her.

"Y-you have mechanical limbs, just like Danzou. They look P-personally modified." She said as she gazed at his legs, then looked up at Mercury, "C-could we chat after this class about a few things?"

"Oh, she likes prosthetic limbs," Ruby said to Ushiwakamaru, who nodded. The silver eyed girl then watched, having a slight realization, "So that's what it looks like when I see a cool weapon... heh."

"No," Mercury said in an offended voice, "My fake legs are not meant to be a conversation starter, that's weird."

"B-but, I must know." Kato said in a bargaining voice, "What type metal are they made of? Are they magically enhanced? Do they have compartments for weapons? If so what weapons? How durable are they?"

"Shut up, you're freaking me out?" Mercury said as he took a step back but resumed his fighting stance.

"B-but. But…." Kato said as a look of sadness filled her eyes. Suddenly she had an idea, "Then Danzo will answer these questions during the fight." She said before reteaching her arm blades. She then extended her arms forward, placed her wrist against one another as she showed the palms of her hands, "Wind gather…" Kato said as metallic clicking was heard, her wrists began to spin counterclockwise.

Mercury and a look of confusion on his face he looked at his opponent's hands. Suddenly, he felt short of breath. As he looked around, he saw trails of wind congregating somewhere. His eyes then widened as he saw the wind forming a balling Kato's hands as they spun more rapidly. A hissing sound was made as the wind formed a whitish light. He tried to force himself out of the way but was pulled towards the opponent. his eardrums ruptured as he screamed in pain.

"Hey!" Taiga yelled over the sound of the wind, "You can't use a Noble Phantasm like that here, it will destroy my dojo! If you do, your team will lose!" she shouted before striking the floor with her bamboo sword, but Kato could not hear her pleads. A line of sweat ran down the dojo professor's face as she realized they were she was standing, slightly pulled in as well "At least don't fire it while I'm in the way!"

Ruby looked over to Mercury, ready to rush into the battle. However, Ushiwakamaru also looked to the gray-haired assassin with eyes of worry, "Brother, get out of the way!"

"Wait, what!?" Ruby said as she looked at the exposed samurai, slightly distracted as she stopped herself.

Kato Danzo's eyes focused as the wind condensed to its peak, "Evil Wind Death Storm!" she said before unleashing the wind, firing was looked like a horizontally spinning cyclone towards Mercury. The grey-haired assassin tried to block the attack with arms, but it was not enough. He, as well as Taiga, were swept up in the wind current. They crashed through multiple walls before coming to a rest a few rooms over. after a few seconds, the winds stopped.

Laying on the floor, Mercury groans as he looked at the ceiling, his eyes barely open and blood dripping from his eyes. While he did not try to get up, he had an odd feeling he knew what happened. He slowly looked to his left, discover parts of his destroyed leg on the floor. He sighed before closing his eyes, "Can I just go one day without this happening to me?" He said before passing out.

 _Ruby._

Mercury slowly opened his eyes. He looked to see he was still in the destroyed dojo, but noticed Archer standing to his right, "What are you-"

"I was walking by where I heard the walls crashing down. Then I remembered Cinder mentioned you had a combat class today in Taiga's dojo." Archer said as he crossed his arms, "So, I came here and thought you might need a new set of legs." He said as Mercury pushed himself up, seeing his new mechanical legs already attached. Archer then tossed Mercury a scroll as well, of which he caught, "I found one broken in your pocket, so I fixed it the way I know how."

"Thanks," Mercury said before looking over the rest of the area. He then saw Kato, hiding behind part of the wall, staring at his legs while she blushed. Mercury had an uncomfortable expression before looking away. He then noticed Ruby talking with Ushiwakamaru, "How long was I out?"

"Not that long, only ten minutes I think." Archer said before he sighed, looking to his right, he saw Taiga covered by a pile of rubble from the attack, "But she will be out for a while." He then looked back Mercury, "You and Ruby should go your other classes now, I'll explain to her what happened." He said with Mercury nodding.

The grey-haired assassin then walked over to Ruby and Ushiwakamaru, who had just finished a conversation. "What are you two talking about?" he asked as Ushiwakamaru began to back up.

"N-nothing," Ushi said as Ruby looked at her in slight worry.

A few minutes earlier.

Ruby was talking with Ushiwakamaru as Archer was making Mercury's new legs, "Mercury is your bother?" The silver eyed girl asked with the exposed samurai nodding, "How?"

"My story is very complicated." Ushiwakamaru responded before sighing, "When I was very young, I showed a lot of potential for greatness. But, my parents could not agree on what path they wanted me on. My mother would not give me up, so it was my father who left us, but not before taking my older brother away with him." She said before looking over to Mercury, still unconscious, "I would guess he does not remember any of that, he was far too young at that point." A look of sorrow then filled her eyes, "But what happened to his legs?" she asked, but Ruby did not answer, only remaining silent. Ushiwakamaru turned back to the silver eyed girl, "Not too long he left, my mother fell ill and died. And I was alone to be raised by the school."

"I'm so sorry Ushi," Ruby responded.

"It is all right," Ushiwakamaru said with an uneasy smile, "It was here I learned about my father. My mother did her best for me to forget I ever had one. Even going so far as to have me take her name instead. I learned that my father went by the last name Black and that while he had died, but his son was never found." She then had a slight giggle, "I would never have guessed he would be someone sent in this exchange program. Even though it has been many years, I knew it was him the moment I saw his face."

"So, why are you avoiding him?" Ruby said with a smile, "Go up and give him a hug. He's not scary…ish."

"It's not that easy for me?" Ushiwakamaru responded as she noticed Mercury getting up, turning to Ruby in a panic, "I don't think he overheard me due to the wind, so please keep this secret for the time being. I will tell him, but…when I am ready."

"…Okay." Ruby said just before Mercury rejoined them.

"What are you two talking about?" Mercury asked as Ushiwakamaru began to back up.

"N-nothing." Ushi said as Ruby looked at her in slight worry, "I am glad you are okay, but I must go now." She said before running off in the opposite direction.

Mercury looked on with a mixed look of confusion and anger, "What is her problem being around me." He then turned to Ruby, "Do you know?"

"No!" Ruby said as she shook her head, "We were just talking about…clothes?"

"Clothes?" Mercury commented with Ruby nodding. He then turned back to see Ushi still running for turning the corner, "You were talking about clothes with a girl who dresses like that?" he said with a line of sweat running down Ruby's face. Suddenly, Mercury sighed. "Whatever, I think she just crazy or something." He said as he looked back to where Ushiwakamaru once was, "Still, she is pretty hot with that outfit." The grey-haired assassin said with a grin. Suddenly, Ruby's cheeks puffed up as she put her right hand over her mouth. Mercury turned to her with caution, "Are you okay?"

Ruby swallowed before talking, "I'm good." She said in a wheezing voice, "We should get going." She said as she started to walk the other direction, "You know, other classes?"

"…Right." Mercury said as he followed the silver eyed girl, a look of inquiry in his eyes.

 **AN: There you go, Blake and Atalanta relationship is being strained with their conflicting viewpoints. Kato Danzo shows up here with me spelling her name this way. She was a hard character to write at first, but I liked drawing the connection to the way Ruby acts with weapons is somewhat how Kato acts with fake limbs. Mercury losses another pair of legs, but I wanted to** **give him a bit more empathy in this chapter with his backstory explained. Then, I wanted to connect it with Ushiwakamaru's history for the context of this story. I hope that this revel goes over well, because I do like the concept to build character between the two. Ruby now has a secret to keep, and for today, she is hanging out with Mercury a lot. The next chapter will focus on more characters, primarily RWBY ones, training with professors.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	34. Chapter 32 - Learning Curve

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the reviews and support this story has gotten. This chapter shows a couple of RWBY characters getting some advice from their teachers, as well as a couple of new character. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 32 – Learning Curve**

 _Pyrrha._

Outside the academy borders, Pyrrha sparred against Vlad. The blond lancer held a metallic spear with an oddly shaped blade in his right hand, parrying all Pyrrha's attacks of her weapon. He then raised his left hand, causing the ground beneath then to shake. Pyrrha looked down just as large, dark-red spike ejected out of the ground. The red-haired warrior jumped back to avoid that stakes, but before she could recover, Vlad attempted rushed with his spear aimed at her. Pyrrha gritted her as she focused on his spear, causing it to glow in a black aura.

However, Vlad focused also, rushing forwards faster than before. Pyrrha panicked as she tried to raise her shield to defend, but she was to slow as the blond lancer cut her right forearm. Vlad then took a relaxed stance as Pyrrha held her arm to slow the bleeding, "I see," He said in a calm voice, "You rely heavily on that semblance of yours to make you untouchable." He then had a small grin form on his face, "But, you lost this match letting yourself try and focus on that power."

"This cut isn't even this big." Pyrrha responded as she reposed her weapons, "I can keep going."

"You do not understand," Vlad responded, his tone slightly enraged, "Battles can be determined by a single blow. You do not realize just how deadly that cut is." He said with Pyrrha tilting her head to the side, causing him to sigh. "Tell me," Vlad said as he looked back to the stakes still sticking out of the ground, "What would you classify my abilities as?"

"Well," Pyrrha said as she looked back at the spikes, "Some type of ground manipulation? Letting you make stakes at will." she soon began to doubt her statement as she looked more at the texture of the spikes, almost resembling a hardened blood, "What type of mineral that is, I don't know?"

"Wrong." Vlad responded, "My Noble Phantasm is not the act of making stakes appear to form the ground," He then had a slightly sinister smile on his face, "but rather, it is the concept of impaling that I hold dominion over."

Pyrrha had a look of disbelief at the blond lancer, "That's impossible, a semblance can't be a concept."

"You are still limiting yourself to the mindset you have back in Vale." Vlad responded, "Do you think it is the school that defines one's limitations, just because the idea of something that powerful is absurd. No, it is the individual themselves that say what he or she is capable of." He said as Pyrrha went quiet, leading to him looking out to the land beyond the academy, "This land is my home, meaning I will defend it until my last breath." Then streaked out his left arm, pointing to the open plains, "Even if an invasion of over five hundred Grimm were to happen this second, all I would need to raise my hand and declare the name Kazıklı Bey. That is how I resolve a whole battle resolved in a single blow." He then looked back to Pyrrha pointing at the cut on her arm, "My stakes are not limited to the ground. Whatever my lance touches will fall under my dominion. Unless you want to test your resistance to pain, our sparring is over." He said with a look of fear filling Pyrrha's eyes, "Do not worry, I will not use on students who follow my advice." He said with a slight grin, "Now, Pyrrha Nikos, my question to you for today. What do you define as your Noble Phantasm's true power?"

Pyrrha looked at Vlad as she was about to speak, however, she stopped herself. Her mind went to her semblance of polarity and her weapons Milo and Akuno transformations, she did not know which to answer. Or rather, she knew that it was not either of them that the blond lancer wanted to hear.

Breaking the silence, Pyrrha heard a crashing sound in the sky. She and Vlad looked up at them to see two objects shrouded in light clashing with one another. One light was a fiery red, while the other a calm blue. The collided with one another in the sky with the sound and look of fireworks. Pyrrha had a look of worry as she turned to Vlad, but that soon changed to confusion as she saw a smile on the blond lancer's face, "Ah, perfect timing." He said as Pyrrha tilted her head slightly, "You two! Cease your bickering and come down here." Vlad yelled, but the two lights continued to clash. After a minute of disobedience to the blond professor, the smile on Vlad's face faded into a look of irritation. He then raised his left towards the two light, clenching his palm.

Suddenly, the red and blue lights vanished, changing into a darker red color like the stakes. Pyrrha watched as the two objects fell straight down, crashing into the ground a couple of meters away from her. She turned to Vlad in dread, "What did you do!?"

"I told you, I will not use it unless they do not follow my instructions." He said before he began walking over where the two landed, "Do not worry, it would take a lot more than that to kill these two." Pyrrha still had a look of shock before she followed the blond lancer, "When you see them, look at their weapons carefully."

Upon arriving at the small craters, Pyrrha saw the rubble move over the one which the red-light object fell. Emerging from the ground was a pale skinned man white disheveled hair and light blue eyes. He wore a skin-tight black outfit under a few pieces of gold armor. in his right hand was a golden metallic spear with a frame near the spearhead that resembled the sun. he had a somewhat blank expression as he looked up at the two, "You interrupted our fight" he spoke in an emotionless tone, "I was winning."

"You two can continue your endless battle after introducing yourselves to one of our new transfer students." Vlad spoke as he crossed his arms, glancing over at the red-haired warrior, "This is Pyrrha Nikos, one of Vale's finest Huntresses in training."

"Karna." He responded as he looked to the red-haired warrior with a small silence filling the land, "….nice to meet you."

Vlad sighed as he turned to Pyrrha, "Karna is one of most powerful students at this academy. A lancer of notable skill and endurance." He then had a slight grin as he looked to Karna, "Even at his age, I have a hard time keep up in combat."

"Perhaps, you are too old now," Karna responded in a blank voice, causing Vlad's right eye to twitch as he slowly raised his left hand.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Pyrrha was saying as she waved, causing Vlad to stop his motion. Karna then hovered towards her, landing a few feet in front of her, "uh…" She said in an uneasy voice as he looked at her.

"You are a skilled warrior, right?" Karna asked in his normal voice, "Are you Vale's top huntress or are you second. Maybe third?"

"I... don't understand, Vale doesn't have a ranking system." Pyrrha said in an uncertain voice, "I don't know where I would place myself against my peers."

"Pyrrha," Vlad said as he looked over at her, "Arrogance is not a desired trait of mine, but modestly only devalues the weight of your accomplishments."

"Ohh…well," Pyrrha said as she looked at Vlad before turning back to Karna, who had a blank expression still, "In my class, I'm somewhere in the top five. Team RWBY is full of strong members." She said with a look of panic filled her eyes, "Not that I am saying my own team is weak! No, not that. I think most of us are in the top ten, yeah, that's accurate."

"…I see," Karna responded, "In Team RWBY, who is the strongest?"

"Uh, I can't say." Pyrrha responded, "I mean, all of them are strong in their own way. Ruby has her speed, Weiss has her Glyphs, Blake has her clones, and Yang has her … she's really strong."

"…I see," Karna responded, his expression still unchanged. Suddenly, the rubble in the crater was the blue object fell started to move. The group looked over to see a dark-skinned man with short brown hair emerge. He wore a pure white outfit, including his shoes, and wielded a long bow in his right hand with a coiled bow sight. As he rose, his left hand was on his face as he prevented any dirt from ruining his skin. "Oh, you are still alive," Karna said as the man lowered his left hand.

"Well, I would have thought as much." Vlad responded before looking to Pyrrha, "He is Arjuna, another skilled student of ours. However, he is of the archer class. As well as Karna's brother."

"It is a shame the Professor interrupted us, I was winning." Arjuna said to his bother before rejoining the group, patting down any dirt off his white clothes, "I choose the sky as our battleground for its solitude. It would have been a peaceful place be after I won."

"Can't it get rather lonely hoovering in the sky alone," Pyrrha commented.

"Yes," Arjuna responded, followed by an awkwardly long silence.

"No matter now, it is almost lunchtime." Karna commented before walking away, "I will leave the town for bread."

"I see, I am rather famished as well." Arjuna commented as he walked in the other direction, "I will head to my quarters to eat."

"Both of you two are eating alone?" Pyrrha asked, "Why don't you go with your brother."

"No," both said at the same time, neither breaking their spread to their destination.

Vlad sighed as he closed his eyes, "Always the same story with those two. If they could work together, they might be unstoppable." He then opened his eyes as he looked to Pyrrha, "Tell me, do you think you could beat either one of them? Also, did you look at their weapons."

"Oh, I just meet them." Pyrrha said frantically as Vlad glared at her, causing her to sigh, "…No, I don't think I could have won. I tried to see is my polarity would move their weapons just a little. But, nothing. That bow behaved like when I fought Enkidu. And that lance, it was like when I battle Gilgamesh."

"Polarity is a powerful skill, making you nearly untouchable in Vale." Vlad responded as he reached into his left pocket, "However, golden and divine weapons are immune to your skill, both of which are common here." He then pulled out a small lance, its size, and shape resembling that of a pencil, "But that is only true for your current level of potential." He passed it to Pyrrha, who caught it but was slightly shocked at its weight. Upon closer examination, she noticed that it makes of gold. In the center of the mini lance, she saw an odd symbol that glowed a yellow light, "that weapon is both golden and infused with a divine rune. I had it made by another professor, so do take care of it." Vlad said as Pyrrha looked at the small lance, "Consider this my type of homework. I want you to bend that small lance into a circle."

"How am I supposed to bend this!?" Pyrrha asked as Vlad started to walk away.

"That is for you for you to decide." The bond lancer said as he walked back towards the academy, "You still limit yourself from greatness, show me you are better than who you were back in Vale."

As he walked away, Pyrrha looked at the small lance in her hand. She focused her gaze on it, covering it with a black aura. However, the aura broke after just a few seconds. Pyrrha gritted her teeth as her hand clenched the small lance.

Weiss.

In the courtyard, Weiss stood in the center field as Semiramis sat at a nearby table. The depraved beauty had the stake of books next to her, but they were split into two stakes. The Heiress wielded her Myrtenaster as she created a white glyph on the ground. She began to smile as the glyph began to rise, forming something of a humanoid shape. However, cracks started to form in the summoned creature as she started to have a look of panic. Suddenly, the white glyph exploded, sending Weiss back into a nearby bush form the shockwave. "Well," Semiramis said she looked over to the Heiress, "Looks like that book did not help either." She said as Wiess got out of the bush.

"I don't get it!" Wiess said in anger as she brushed the dirt off her body, "I know the process inside and out, I know the exact image of what I want to summon, but I just can't get it." She said before looking at the stack of books, "I even read these texts on the magic of this land, but none of it is helping."

"Complaining never leads to moving forward." Semiramis said as Wiess sat down in a chair across from her, "Your output of energy seems correct, but you are struggling with the forming of a summable creature." The depraved beauty then turned to her right, "When you do create one, you'll find they have a lot of uses." Weiss followed her teacher's eyes but was left in shock at what she saw. Approaching them as a walking skeleton, its bones a dark grey, and its head in the shape of a ravenous mouth. As it walked towards them, it carried a tray of a coffee pot and a few mugs already filled, "This is one of my Dragon Tooth Skeleton warriors, a summon I made while you were practicing." Semiramis said as the creature placed the tray on the table. "You may take a break if you want," Semiramis told Weiss as she reached for a cup, "And a thank you would be appreciated." However, she looked at Weiss staring to sweat, her breathing slightly heavy, "Weiss…" The depraved beauty asked in slight worry.

"Thank you…" Weiss said in an uneasy voice as she reached for a mug, taking a sip of the coffee, "It is very good." She said before glancing at Dragon Tooth Skeleton for a second. While it did not have eyes, it was staring at heiress, "…can you…tell that thing to go away..." She said as she tried to focus on her mug. Semiramis giggled slightly before waving her right hand, causing her to summon to fade to ash, "Thank you." Weiss said as her hands were still slightly shaking.

"Weiss," Semiramis asked with slight candor, "Is it possible that you have a slight case Ostiophobia?" she said with Weiss looking to her for clarification, "A fear of bones, or more specifically, Skeletons?"

Weiss sighed before she drank a large sip of her coffee, "Please, do not tell anyone. Not even my friends know this." She asked after finishing, "I don't exactly remember when or how, but skeletons scare me ever since I can remember." She continued as Semiramis placed her right hand on her chin, "I know what you're thinking, 'what about the bone-like armor on Grimm?' But, Grimm doesn't scare me in general. I have fought against enough of them to not fear them anymore." Weiss looked down at her cup, a look of worry in her eyes, "It's just a normal skeleton or something like one that makes me feel so…I just freeze up in fear."

"Oh, I see." Semiramis responded before smiling, "Well, it might explain why you cannot summon." She said with Weiss having a look of confusion, "When creating a creature of any kind, you must make it with a type of bone structure in mind," The depraved beauty looked back to where Weiss once stood, the ground still damaged from her attempt, "You can form the mold of what you want, but internally, the summon is just mass of uncoordinated energy. Doing so without can easily fall apart, sometimes leading to a breakdown due to the improper structure. It is like you are building a car without a frame. Or a house without proper support beams. You seem to be so afraid of skulls and bones, you don't image any of your summons having them." She said with a slight giggle at the end of her last sentence, causing Weiss's face to turn red, "Sorry, it is just really funny when you think about it like that. But, this means there is nothing wrong with your abilities, just your mindset."

"So, what your saying is I need to study anatomy, not magic." Weiss said before sighing, "I guess I'll go see the biology professor here."

"Don't bother, she is an idiot, you won't learn a thing in her class." Semiramis said in a condescending voice as she pulled out her scroll, "I will send you a few files I have left over from a research project."

"What project?" The heiress asked.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about," Semiramis said with a smile, "Just a few tests of some concoctions I have made." She said before putting her scroll away, "There are a few files, so come see me after you have read them. After that, we will resume your practical training."

"I will, thank you, Professor Semiramis," Weiss said before getting up and walking away.

Semiramis waved goodbye as she smiled for a few seconds, then she closed her eyes, "…you were watching us for a while." She said as she slightly opened her right eye halfway, looking over at a tree. Walking out from behind the tree was Amakusa Shirou, a calm smile on his face.

"And here I thought I was the only student you saw exclusively." Amakusa sarcastically said as he walked over to the depraved beauty, "I thought we had something special."

"What we have is something I would like to keep secret," Semiramis said as he sat down across from her.

"You know we have nothing to hide, this school does not prohibit our kind of relationship." Amakusa said with a slight giggle, "If it did, Medb would have been fired a while ago."

"Which is why I do not want to be compared to that woman in any way!" Semiramis said in an irritated voice as she crossed her arms and looked away from the student head of the church, "It is also why you should never take her ridicules class either."

Amakusa began to laugh before grinning, "I am so grateful to have you to watch over me." He said as Semiramis refused to make eye contact. However, he noticed her pointed ears turn slightly red, causing him smile.

 **AN: Their you go, Pyrrha and Weiss have some training to do. I liked that Pyrrha also hangs around with Karna and Arjuna for a bit, but losses her confidents due their unique personalities, that she starts acting like Ruby. Vlad gives her a hard task to complete, bending a golden and divine mini-lance. As for Weiss, I have my reasons for why she has that fear. It will be explained in a future chapter why she fears bones and will come into play for other obstacles for her to overcome. Also, Semiramis and Amakusa's hidden relationship was a suggestion that I decided to go with because I like the idea in this setting. For me, their relationship was unexpected, but in a good way. Next chapter should focus on Jaune's training and Glynda's teaching, as well as a small reveal to something big.**


	35. Chapter 33 - Genius of the Battlefield

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has Glynda take center stage to show off some of her skills. Her combat is a mix of what she does in the show, as well as a few new tricks she learned in the interim to prepare for this class. It may seem like overpowering, but she is never given much context in the show, and it isn't as I need her to balance out with the other fate series characters. I really do like her character here, she gets a lot of personality in how she acts here as a teacher. Team Extella also comes back, with each member revealing a little about themselves. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 33 – Genius of the Battlefield**

 _Glynda._

Glynda and Medea entered the training arena, seeing the four members of Team Extella at the centered of the battlegrounds, "We meet again." The professor from Beacon said with a smile, However, the student's expression was less pleased, "You are annoyed that I called our class earlier than anticipated. But I think you will find this to be very beneficial since my time is limited at this school."

"Whatever you say, Professor," Tamamo said sarcastically, "What do you want to teach us today?"

"A simple sparring match is all I wanted to do today," Glynda responded, "Just to see how well your skills match up to mine."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, "I thought you said you knew you were no match for anyone here."

"For the professor here, I would have a difficult time keeping up." Glynda said before adjusting her glasses, "However, against the students, I am confident I will not lose."

"Is that so," Nero said before she closed her eyes, placing her right hand on her chest, "Then I, the Empress of Roses, will be the prove you wrong."

"Very well, you can attack me one-on-one or as a team. The choice is yours." Glynda said as she called her wand to her right hand, then turning to Medea, "Can I trust you to keep watch over the match?"

"Over course," Medea responded, as she walked away a somewhat sinister smile appeared on her face, "Feel free to not hold back anything, these four are in need of your teaching."

Nero closed her eyes while she extended her right hand. A light reddish beam of energy formed horizontally as stated to grip one of the ends. Upon clutching the beam, it erupted into a flurry of roses, revealing an oddly shaped blade. The metal was a dark red and black, with no hilt or handguard. She then extended her left arm, causing a golden light to form around her forearm. As the light faded, it revealed a small golden shield with a light blue gem at the center, "Umu," The Empress of Roses said as she opened her eyes.

"Interesting," Glynda said as she looked at Nero's sword, "I have a student who came here with me that has a similar design to your weapon." While the professor of Beacon meant it as a compliment, her comment caused Nero then scolded as she looked at Glynda

Nero turned back to her teammates, "None of you get in my way," she said before turning back to Glynda, "I'll take her down myself."

"If you say so," Tamamo said before she yawned and stretched her arms behind her head, "Saves me the trouble."

"Fine," Elizabeth commented, "But I call next if you lose."

"If you fail to take an opening I see," Altera added, "I will intervene."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Elizabeth replied in slight anger, "I already called next!"

"Neither of you will get your chance," Nero said as she reposed her weapon, "I'll win this match in no time."

"If you are done talking, I will say the rules." Glynda responded as she took out her tablet, "A fighter loses if she is knocked out of the arena, is rendered unconscious, or the time of our class runs out. In the end, I will let you know how your team performed," She then put her tablet away as she focused on Team Extella, a slight smile on her face, "Now, attack."

Nero grinned as she rushed forwards, leaving a plum of rose petals as she moved. She attempted a horizontal slash, but Glynda dashed backward to dodge. Nero then used the momentum of her missed swing to push herself to her left before rushing at Glynda from a different angle. But again, Glynda dodged the hit, leading to the Empress of Roses to grit her teeth in rage.

In the distance, Tamamo yawned as she watched the fight, "Nero is having a hard time landing a hit," The fox faunus said as she watched her teammate continue to miss hit after hit. She then looked to Glynda, who had a focused gaze on her opponent as she dodged, "Still, this professor hasn't even tried to attack back yet."

"Maybe she's scared," Elizabeth responded with a smirk, "From what I have heard, most of these transfers have been getting beat by every student they have come across. I hear one keeps getting his legs broken."

"Funny," Medea responded to the group of chattering students, "I don't remember your combat skills being that particularly good when you came here." Her comment caused Elizabeth to pout.

"I don't think they are particularly good now either," Tamamo said with a catlike smirk, causing Elizabeth to focus her anger towards her teammate.

Medea giggled before she continued, "Tell me, did any of you learn more about your professor before coming to this first class?"

"Why would we?" Tamamo responded, "She's just a teacher from one of those sheltered kingdoms."

Medea sighed before smiling, "If you did, you would know not one of you could beat her." Her comment caused Elizabeth and Tamamo to look at her in confusion, "She is Vale's most accomplished huntress, often called The Genius of the Battlefield." The head of magic bylaws said before having a slight laugh, "If she had attended this school, my guess is that would have been her title upon winning the trial." Her commented caused a look of disbelief on the student's faces as they looked back to the fight, disregarding what the professor had said.

Back to the fight, Glynda dodged a vertical swing from Nero, leading to the crimson blade embedding into the ground, "Come on!" Nero said, her breathing slightly heavy, "Why are you just dodging?"

"I was waiting until you make enough," Glynda responded as she adjusted her stance, holding her riding crop like a wand.

"Enough what?" Nero said as she pulled her sword out of the ground. Suddenly, she noticed a few of her rose petals floating by her face, "Huh?" she said to herself, knowing she felt no breeze, nor did she create any just now. She then turned around to see all the hundreds of rose petals she had generated during her attempt to hit Glynda begin to float.

Glynda raised her hand with the riding crop higher, causing the roses to ascend as well. She then tightened her grip on her weapon. Suddenly, the rose petals glowed in a pinkish light. Glynda then began to twirl her wand slightly, leading all the rose petals to gather in a spiral cyclone that was a few meters long, "My class revolves around understanding your environment to ensure victory. You left me the tools for that when you were trying to hit, Empress of Roses." Glynda said before twisting her grip on her riding crop, causing the cyclone of roses to spin faster as while narrowing. She then reposted with her riding crop, causing the rose petals to quickly gather behind Glynda before heading towards Nero.

Nero raised her left hand with the shield, causing it to open as it slights rotated, radiating a light blue aura. However, Glynda grinned as she flicked her right hand. Suddenly, the cyclone of roses slit into two smaller cyclones, each going around Nero. Glynda then pulled her riding crop towards. Nero looked back to see both cyclones heading for a back attack. The Empresses of Roses quickly spun around for horizontal slash, but Glynda lowered her right hand. The cyclones of roses ducked the crimson blade, collided with Nero's stomach with enough force to lift her high into the air. Nero gasped as she felt the wind knocked out of her, but she gritted her teeth again as she tried to recover.

However, Glynda remained focused as she waved her riding crop as if she was conducting a concert. The cyclones of roses then each split apart, forming four mini cyclones of rose petals. As Nero was focused on Glynda, in the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the cyclones crash into her right side. As she flew back in the air, another cyclone hit her in the stomach, keeping her in the air. Another cyclone hit her on the left side, followed by another one hitting her in the back. Nero continued to be judged in the air by the cyclones of roses for a minute of bombardments. Finally, Glynda raised her right higher over her head, causing all the cyclones to gather back into one. She then lowered her right arm, causing the cyclone to drop down towards Nero at high speed, crushing her against the ground into a large crater in the ground. A plum of dust covered the hole as the rose petals fell, each losing the aura around them.

Medea crossed her arms as she looked at the pile of rubble, "If you had looked into your opponent, you would have learned her semblance was a variation telekinesis. A rather powerful variation to it as well."

"Semblance?" Elizabeth asked, causing Tamamo to sigh.

"It's what they call their 'special abilities' you idiot. She can move stuff with her mind, and it looks like even to enhance the items slightly." Tamamo said with indignation, causing the idol faunus to pout, "So, her telekinesis to let her move the rose petals. Then, she used her ability to strength them." The fox Faunus then put her hands on her hips, "I guess those roses do have some uses in combat." Her comment caused a groaning sound to come from the rubble.

"You should have helped your teammate, not taunt her," Glynda responded to Tamamo but was answered with a scoff. The professor from Vale then noticed Elizabeth smile as she called her spear. However, Glynda had a look of confusion as she noticed someone missing from the group. She then had a look of panic before rolling to her left.

At the last second, she avoided a backstab from Altera. As Glynda recovered, she noticed the King of Combat's weapon. It was some type of sword with a cylindrical blade made up from vertical stripes of different colors. The handguard was read and black, grabbing the bottom of the blade like a claw. Altera glared at Glynda as she stabbed the ground with her saber, "Hey!" Elizabeth called out, "I called next!"

"I told you I would intervene if I saw an opportunity," Altera retorted, but still remained focused on her opponent, "However, her dodging was unexpected."

"That was close," Glynda responded as she reposed her weapon, "If you had hit me with that blade this match would have been over."

Altera then pulled out her sword and pointed it at Glynda, "You are correct, my Photon Ray is capable of destroying anything. I plan to use it to wipe Remnant of all Grimm, ensure none ever come back."

Tamamo watched as she crossed her arms, "I swear, all she ever thinks about is killing Grimm."

"You should know the reason why." Medea said as the fox Faunus turned back to her, noticing a look of remorse in the head of magic bylaw's eyes, "Not only her hometown, but her boyfriend was killed in a Grimm invasion. Leaving her with nothing to go back to. So, she vowed to kill all Grimm for what they did to her."

"Yeah…" Elizabeth said as her expression saddened, "That's why she tries so hard."

"It's really sad…" Tamamo as she looked down, "Her boyfriend was really cute." The fox Faunus said with Elizabeth and Medea looking at her in horrified surprise.

Back to the fight, Altera attempted to slash Glynda with her sword. However, she met with the same results as Nero in success. The King of Combat then adjusted her grip on her Photon Ray, causing its rainbow blade to elongate. Glynda was in shock as the blade began to act like a wipe. The rate of Altera's attacks increased, leading to Glynda struggling to dodge.

The professor from Beacon watched as the blade wipe was about to collide with her face. At the last second, she held her riding crop in the way of the attack, but Altera was unimpressed at the attempted block. "Ochraniac," Glynda said, causing the riding crop glowed with a white light before the rainbow blade made contact, Altera eyes widened as Glynda then pushed back her Photon Ray.

While Altera was still in a stunned state, Glynda reposed as she pointed her riding crop at her opponent, "Belka." She said before her riding crop shot a thin beam of white light into Altera's abdomen. the impact pushed the King of Combat a couple of feet back, her feet skidding against the ground. Once the beam had stopped, Altera's breath went slightly heavy as she held her stomach, "You are strong to take that attack head on," Glynda said as she reposed her stance, "But the next one will be much stronger." Altera gritted her teeth as she readjusted to her combat stance.

"What was that?" Elizabeth commented from afar, turning back to Tamamo, "I thought those from the other Kingdoms didn't know any form of magic?" However, the fox Faunus had a line of sweat come down her face as she smiled.

"I was able to teach her a few spells before this class. Basic light magic, nothing too complicated," Medea answered, "It is amazing what she is able to learn in a couple of hours."

"How many spells did you teach her?" Tamamo asked, but Medea just smiled as her eyes were halfway open.

"Sawla," Glynda said as she pointed her glowing riding crop at Altera. Suddenly, a continuous rapid fire of light bullets fired from her weapon. Altera dashed to the right to avoid the volley, continuing to run as Glynda prevented her from getting closer.

Back near the crater in the arena, the rubble began to move slightly. Tamamo and Elizabeth looked as Nero pulled herself out of the wreckage. The Empress of Roses' clothes were tattered, and her hair frazzled. She coughed, spitting out a few rose petals in the process, "Ew." Elizabeth said as she grimiest.

"Wow," Tamamo said as she smiled at Nero, "I thought you were down for the count."

However, Nero did not listen to her teammate as she focuses her rage on Glynda, "You have made a mockery of me and my Rule of the Rose Skill." She said while Glynda was focused on Altera, "And now, you ignore me!" She shouted before she reached behind her back, pulling out a single rose, "I wanted to keep this secret until I fought Ruby, but you…. really made me angry!" Suddenly the area around Nero glowed with a pinkish light, "Behold my glory…Aes-" However, in the middle of her declaration, Glynda turned to her for a second and fired a single light blast at Nero's rose. The shot had destroyed the rose, leaving Nero with a shocked expression as she held the stem in her hand.

"I don't ignore anyone, I listen to their every word," Glynda said to Nero while she still assaulted Altera, "I just don't believe all that they say is interesting or relevant."

"You!" Nero said as fire filled her eyes, causing her crimson sword to burn with a similar flare. She rushed towards Glynda in a burst of speed, her sword already in mid-swing.

At that moment, Glynda stopped her volley of light-blast and closed her eyes. Altera focused as she rushed towards the defenseless opened, her Photon Ray in poised in a stabbing strike. Glynda adjusted her grip of the riding crop, casing its glow to change, as if the light was charging, "Lampa błyskowa." She said before the riding crop flashed, blinding both Altera and Nero. However, both continued their attack through the blindness.

In the distance, Tamamo and Medea shielded their eyes, but Elizabeth yelled in pain. Once the light faded, Tamamo looked to the fight, but her eyes widen in shock. Both Altera and Nero and struck each other with their blades. The crimson blade had struck the King of Combat's right shoulder, while the Photon Ray slashed against the Empress of Roses abdomen. Both students coughed blood, while the fox Faunus wondered were Glynda was. She then turned back to see Medea looking up. Tamamo followed the head of magic bylaws eyes to see Glynda was high in the air, her eyes still closed. Her riding crop pointed up as light gathered above it into a large sphere, "Kula." Glynda said as she opened her eyes, looking up at the ball of light. She then glanced back down at her opponents before launching the sphere towards them. Altera and Nero looked on in panic as the ball came collided with the ground, creating a white light shockwave that encompassed them both. The blast wave pushed both students out of the arena and into the stands, crashing into the seats.

Glynda landed back on her feet, using her left hand to soften her fall. She then stood up straight turning her attention over to Tamamo and Elizabeth, "Your teammates are out of bounds, they have both lose." The professor from Vale said as she reposed herself, "Now, it is only two-against-one."

"It's quality over quantity," Tamamo said as she crossed her arms.

"Are you saying we're stronger than the two of them," Elizabeth asked her teammate.

"I'm saying I'm stronger than the two of them," Tamamo corrected with a grin, "You're obviously the weakest of our team."

"Hey!" Elizabeth responded as her tail straightened, "I'll prove right now how strong I'm!" She then turned to walk towards Glynda, "Hey teacher!" She said as she called her microphone spear, "Wanna hear my singing voice?"

"This isn't the time or place for singing," Glynda responded.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth before clearing her throat, "I'll let you hear the greatest hit of the World of Remnant!" the idol faunus said as she twirled the spear over her head, "Tamamo won't need to fight, this is the Finale!" Elizabeth then stabbed the ground with her spear and jumped onto the other end. Glynda had a look of confusion took a deep breath, "Laaaaaa!" Elizabeth singed, creating a violent soundwave of her voice echoing towards the professor from Beacon.

However, Glynda stood completely still as she took the Noble Phantasm head on. The soundwave passed right through her, leaving her unharmed. However, the blast continued, crashing into the opposite wall. Elizabeth stopped her singing as she realized it's ineffectiveness, a look of confusion on her face, "Wha? How did you?" she said as Glynda remained motionless.

"Hey idiot," Tamamo called as Elizabeth turned to her, seeing the Fox Faunus pointing to the far right, "She's over there." She said as Elizbeth looked, discovering Glynda adjusting her glasses.

"To answer your questions," Glynda said as she crossed her arms, "I cast Imitacja while you two were distracted with your bickering." Elizabeth looked to see the copy of Glynda vanish in a white light, "It could have won you the match if it had connected, but you failed to see through the copy."

"Only an amateur would start the fight with their Noble Phantasm like that," Tamamo responded as she looked up at the idol Faunus, who was pouting, "You have a bad habit of making a fool of yourself. Like that time, you brought that armor you thought was a bathing suit. Or that time you ate that ring because you didn't want to lose it." The fox Faunus then began to laugh as she held her sides, "Or that time a horse threw you off and you landed in a pile of Grimm crap."

"Hey!" Elizabeth said her face turned red. She as she jumped off her spear to face her teammate, "You promised me you would never tell speak of those things to anyone!"

"I lied." Tamamo said with a catlike smile, "It's what I do." She said as Elizabeth gritted her teeth, "Now that you embarrassed yourself again, I'll finish this match for our team." She said as she walked away from her teammate, looking towards Glynda, "This will be the last match, this is the call of Team Estella's leader."

"I thought your team did not agree on the leader role yet," Glynda said as she readjusted her stance, "But, we are running short on time, so this may be the last attempt."

"So be it," Tamamo said as she called a mirror with a blue frame, matching the color of her outfit, "I'll show you a true Noble Phantasm," the fox faunus said as the mirror ascended. Tamamo the pulled out eight talisman pieces of paper, four in each hand, and tossed them into the air. The hoovered a few feet from the still rising mirror, "Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu!" Tamamo said as she made a quick twirl, balancing on one leg as she pinched her middle and ring fingers against her thumbs. She winked at an unamused Glynda, the then looked up the see the mirror flash in a yellow light. Tamamo then jumped high into the air, hovering in the light as she extended her arms. Suddenly, the talismans changed into gigantic spheres, four made of fire and four made of ice. Tamamo looked down at the professor from Beacon as she reeled back her arms, "Try these on for size!" She shouted before thrusting her arms forward, causing the gigantic spheres of fire and ice to be launched one-by-one.

Glynda sighed as she raised her riding pointing at the oncoming attack. She slight twisted her wrist, causing the ice spheres to redirect to collided with the fire spheres. Upon crashing into one another, they create an explosion of steam that covered the area, "You mock your teammate for her actions, but yours fared no better." Glynda called us as she could not see through the sudden mist, "But a fire that can melt ice to a gas is incredibly deadly."

"I can't see anything!" Elizbeth shouted in the distance.

She said softly before she heard something hitting the ground, "This fog won't save you if I know where you land." She said before pointed her riding crop towards the sound, making out slight the silhouette of Tamamo. However, the fox Faunus dashed away in an instant, leaving Glynda shocked. At the last second, the professor from Beacon heard some approaching from her right. She tried to block but could not finish her switching to a defensive stance.

Tamamo kicked Glynda's right hand, knocking the riding crop out of her grasp. Tamamo them jumped in the air and kicked the riding crop farther into the mist before dashing the other direction, "I have been watching my teammates failed and learned a few things about your combat style." She said in an entitled voice as Glynda tried to find where the voice was coming from, "All your attacks rely on that riding crop of yours like it's some kind of wand." She said as Glynda sighed taking off her off her glasses, "That's what makes you people from the other kingdoms so weak. You're so easy to foul." Glynda looked down at her glasses in her right hand as she pulled out a white cloth out of her left pocket, "Now, how will you beat me without your weapon?" Glynda placed the cloth over her glasses before she raised her left hand, her palm open. Abruptly, the mist rose over the arena. Medea and Elizbeth now had a visual of the area, both noticed Tamamo froze in mid-run, a line of sweat down the fox Faunus's face.

"Your mist seems to have fogged up my glasses," Glynda said as she rubbed them with the cloth, "It is true, I use the riding crop to focus my abilities," She then started to walk over towards the frozen in motion Tamamo, "but I am not defenseless without it. Rather, it is used as a benefit for the student's that I use it in combat." She said as she finished cleaning her glasses, looking over to Tamamo with a slight smile, "Or else, I cannot fully control my power."

"Eh?" Tamamo said as her mouth remained unable to move full, all she could do was twitch.

"If you wish to fight me with no restraints, that could be dangerous for both of us." Glynda said as she raised her left hand over as an open palm a couple of inches from Tamamo's face, "So, I'll end this now." She said as another line of sweat came down the fox Faunus's face, "Ostateczny." Glynda whispered as her left palm glowed with a white light as if the light was gathering. After a few seconds of silence, a gigantic beam of light fired from Glynda's palm, fully encamping Tamamo's body. The Fox Faunus screamed as she was launched back into the arena wall, embedding herself into it, and reaming awake for a few seconds before passing out from the pain.

"Well," Medea commented from afar, "She wasn't kidding."

"Serves you right!" Elizabeth called out before Glynda turned to her, causing a look of panic on the idol Faunus's face, "Ut-oh."

Glynda took one step forward, but then felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket, "It seems class is over now." She said with Elizabeth sighing of relief. Glynda looked down to see her riding crop on the ground. She picked it up, but quickly recalled it away, "As a team, you failed immensely." Glynda said before she put back on her glasses, "Independently, you each showed high-level skills. But none that could match my experience," she adjusted her glasses as she looked over the arena, "If you have attacked me all at the same time, with even mild coordination, I would have lost."

"I did say not one of you could beat her," Medea said to Elizabeth with a smile, "You didn't take the hint."

"Well," Elizabeth said as she crossed her arms, "I was still left standing, I could have put up a fight."

"You could have attacked me while I was focused on Tamamo." Glynda said with the idol Faunus's face turning red again, "Regardless, you choose not to get in the way of your teammates who disobeyed, trusting in their judgment and abilities. That is commendable."

"I did?" Elizabeth asked, causing Glynda to readjust her glasses, "Does this mean I get the highest grade!?"

"Like you said, you were the last one standing." Glynda said as she looked down at her left hand, seeing it shaking, "I'm still not used to this style of combat with magic. Mixing it with what I already know has been taxing to say the lease." She then looked to Elizabeth with a sincere smile, "If our match had continued, it is unlikely I would have won." Her comment causing a smile to appear on Elizabeth's face as she started to jump with joy.

"Yes yes yes!" She said with glee as Medea smiled also, "I can wait to rubble this in Tamamo's face." She thought with a sinister expression before she turned back to Glynda with a normal smile, "I'll take care of the others, thank you for the lesson." She said with a small bow.

"You are welcome," Glynda responded, "We will meet as a class throughout the time I am here to work on territory-based combat, as well as your teamwork." She said as Medea joined her side, "We will take our leave now."

"Bye," Elizabeth said with a wave as she continued to smile.

As the two exited the arena, Medea turned to Glynda, "I think you may have been underestimating yourself at the end right there."

"That is your observation, but my call was what I what I believed in the right assessment of the situation." Glynda said as she adjusted her glasses, a sigh in her next remark, "It will take a while for them to work together properly as a team, but I will try my best."

Medea smiled as she followed Glynda, "I'm sure you will."

 **AN: There you go, Glynda knows some light magic, which I feel fits. Regarding the spell names, it's a simple translation from another language. I do like how I wrote her interaction, the fact she is a quick learner, and how her personality changes in the last act of this chapter. I also say what happened to Hakuno in this story, and why Altera acts the way she does towards Grimm. Nero shows she has something saved for Ruby, and Tamamo proves how not nice she can be with just her words. At least Elizabeth gets her moment in the end, but she shared a similar experience with another character that resulted in something very bad. Also, the part with Jaune with being at the beginning of the next chapter because I wanted this one to only focus on Glynda. That chapter will also have a moment with Ruby that I am looking forward to writing. Next chapter should focus on Jaune's training and Glynda's teaching, as well as a small reveal to something big.**


	36. Chapter 34 - Impressing Others

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you again for all the support this story has gotten. It has just hit a lot of huge milestones: 200 favorites, 250 followers, and over 85,000 views. It is all thanks to you in giving this story a chance and the TV Tropes page is still updating. This chapter deals with a few characters getting a moment together with others, as well as some more context on past events. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 34 – Impressing Others**

 _Jaune._

Outside the academy, Jaune holds his shield in defense of a charging Lancelot while Mash watched close by. However, the dark armored knight bashed through the male Arc's shield, knocking Jaune on his back a few feet away from where he stood, "Are you okay?" Mash called out, "Can you get up?"

"Yeah," Jaune groaned as he tried to push himself up, "It's only the twenty-fifth time...I think...I might have lost count." He said as he got back on two feet, but his legs shaking. He looked over to see Lancelot, ready to charge at him again, "Why did my stats have to go up?" He muttered to himself as he raised his shield.

"Papa." Mash called, gaining Lancelot's attention, "Maybe we can take a break."

"…" Lancelot calmed done as he changed to a relaxed stance.

Jaune sighed as he sat down, Mash walked over to him, "Your dad is a little more extreme than I remembered as a kid." He said as Mash sat next to him, "I remembered hearing about his adventures with Gawain, he seemed so valorous and less…berserk?" he said with Mash having a slight giggle, "Yeah, I remember he worked with Melian and that lady they all called King of Knights. My parents told me she was strongest, but that I was too young to understand the reason for why they called her Arthur sometimes." Jaune then looked over to hear Lancelot growling at the mention of a certain name, casing a line of sweat to come down his face, "Uhh...who else was there. Oh, I remember them hanging out with a woman called Guinevere." He said as he slightly blushed, "You know, I had a slight crush on her growing up."

"Oh, she was the King of Knight's wife." Mash answered with a slight smile, "She is also my Mom."

"Oh…I…" Jaune said as his face turned redder.

"It's okay, it's a bit of a complex story." Mash said as before looking up at the clouds, but Lancelot started to walk away, not wanting to hear this story, "You see, The King of Knights was once a man who turned into a woman. Before that, he and his wife, Guinevere, who wished to have his child. It was all she had dreamed of at the time. However, that dream was shattered after she learned of the change to her husband's gender. And with that change came an unforce addition that made Guinevere feel completely lost to the man she once knew." Mash said before she looked over to see Mordred and Yang talking to Lancelot, "So, Lancelot went to comfort my mother, he used to tell me he had a crush on her also. Everything happened so quickly afterward, Guinevere left the newly named Artoria and married my Papa. Soon after, I was born." Suddenly, Mash's face changed to sorrow, "My Papa loved me and my mother a great deal, but he knew his wife still had felt something for Arthur. And in one day, she vanished, as well did The King of Knights disappeared, and my father was changed to the berserker he is now."

"Wow," Jaune commented in speechless voice, "That's more that's more depression than complex."

"It's okay," Mash commented as she put on a slight smile, once I am ready, I'm going to venture out and find my mother. Then, I'll convince her to come back so that my family can be whole again." She then got up and walked over to the rest of the group. Jaune got up also, however, he noticed Mash wiping something from her face. He had a sorrowful expression as he followed her.

"Again, sorry we are late Lancelot." Mordred said before turning to Yang, "But you see, my roommate's outburst had us get an earful from some of the professors."

"Hey that little pervert had it coming, I don't want Ruby seeing that at her age," Yang responded.

"…" Lancelot responded looking to the sky, seeing somewhat approaching from the distance. He then walked away as the Yang turned to Mordred, who had a slightly perturbed look.

"Not much of a talker," The blond berserker commented. She then smiled as she had an idea, "Tell me, does he often?"

"Often what?" Mordred responded.

"Does he _lance a lot_ or not at all," Yang responded, but Mordred to sigh as she placed her right hand on her face. "Also, was I sensing some tensions between you two?"

"Back before I learned the truth about myself." Mordred responded as she lowered her hand, "My father told me Lancelot was the one that impregnated her. But, that was just a lie." Mordred then turned to Yang, who had a somewhat confused expression, "You're wondering who told me the truth?" She said with Yang nodding, "It was father's ex-wife who told me, but it was my father who confirmed it." She then looked over at Mash and Jaune approaching them, "Also, out of all things I told you about myself, don't mention that to anyone. Got it?"

"Sure." Yang responded before the two Shielder joined them, "Hey Jaune."

"Hey, Yang." He said in a slightly uneasy voice, "Listen, I have been hearing some crazy rumors. Did you-"

"Yes." Yang interrupted with a grin.

"Oh…" Jaune said as an awkward silence fell over the group. In the distance, he noticed Nora walking with her group from the earlier class, expect Neo had wandered off towards Lancelot, "Hey, it's Nora."

"Jaune!" Nora called out as she ran ahead of the group, "You and I are the same class now." She said before calling out her Plasma Blade, "Check out my new sword."

"Oh cool, you have to show Ruby that." Yang commented, "But, what happened to your hammer?"

"It broke, but this is cooler." The orange haired saber said before she funneled her electricity in the blade, causing it to light up, "See."

"Wow." Jaune comment, "I hate to tell you, but I'm not a Saber anymore. I'm a Shielder." He then had a sudden realization, "Did it hurt when you went through the class change process?"

"Nah," Nora said as she recalled her weapon, "Kind of tickled actually." Fran, Emerald, and Jekyll then joined their group, "Also, made some new friends." Nora added on.

"Fran," Mash asked in concern, "What happened to your arm?"

"Aa." Fran responded, "Au."

"Multiple fractures, yikes." Mordred commented, "But I guess any Grimm biting will do that to you."

"Ua," Fran added on in a disappointed voice.

"Yeah, that's going to be broken for a while. About a month or so." Mash commented, "Did they say anything about you on future missions?"

"Aa!" Fran responded with enthusiasm.

"No Fran, they said you should take it easy." Jekyll commented, "Your arm was broken too severely for normal healing magic."

"Aaaa!," Fran responded toward the man in glasses with a slight growl, causing him to take a step back in fear.

"That's the spirit Fran," Mordred said with a smile, "We overcome any pain, small or big."

"Aa!" Fran said with a smile and a nod as she extended her right arm forward, making a fist. Mordred grinned as she extended her left fist, slightly bumping against Fran's right, "Ua."

In the group, Yang and Jaune had a look of blankness of the situation, "You all…. can understand that?" Yang commented, "How?"

"It makes more sense the longer you know her," Jekyll responded, "We have been a team for a while now, so we have gotten used to it." Yang and Jaune then nodded in understanding, but then they looked over Nora.

"What?" The orange haired saber commented, "It just makes sense to me."

"I didn't know this Kingdom also did the four-person squad thing." Jaune added on, "What are you called?"

"Ua," Fran answered, but Jaune had a look of confusion.

"She said Team London. Our kingdoms name convention is a bit different though," Mash responded before looking to the prideful knight, "Mordred is our leader."

"You didn't tell me that?" Yang commented with a smile.

"It never came up," Mordred responded before she looked over to Emerald, who was looking up at the sky, "You with them?"

"Yeah, sorry." Emerald responded as she looked back done, "Just…saw something in the sky."

"We're all friends here, Em," Nora responded, causing Emerald to slightly smile.

"Is she your friend?" Yang asked Emerald as they looked over to see Neo looking up at Lancelot.

"…" Neo said as she looked up at him. She grinned as she changed the orientation of her eye colors.

"…" Lancelot said as he looked down at her.

"Yeah, she's just…quiet," Emerald responded.

From above, the group heard a horse's neigh. They looked up to see Medusa riding her Pegasus, wearing her combat gear, but without the mask. Yang, Nora, and Jaune looked in amazement, but Emerald remained content. As Yang got a better looked, she noticed someone sitting behind Medusa. It was Penthesilea, who was to wear a revealing set of steel armor, only covering her forearms, forelegs, and upper chest. Around her waist was a white fur pelt with a red cape over her lower back torso. Also, on the Queen Berserker's face was a pair of glasses, "YOU!" Penthesilea sounded as she pointed at Yang.

"Oh great," Yang said with a groan of annoyance, "What do you want stalker girl?"

"In our fight yesterday, you knocked out my contacts!" Penthesilea yelled back, "Now I've lost them."

"So," Yang responded her tone raises, "Go back to that dojo and find them, don't complain to me."

"I did!" Penthesilea responded, "However, half the dojo is destroyed!"

"…Did you check the other half." Nora asked, but Penthesilea glared at her while she flared her fangs.

"We did but they weren't there," Medusa said as she put her hand on the berserker queen's right shoulder, holding her back, "We are just returning from town, where we hoped to buy a new set, but they are out."

"Now, I have to use these things to properly see straight." Penthesilea continued, "I demand retribution."

"That's not my problem," Yang said before her eyes started to turn red, "But if you want a rematch, I'm not against hitting someone who is wearing glasses." She said before hitting her fist together, while in the foreground, Jekyll to take a step back in fear.

"You fail to understand," Penthesilea said as she grinned, closing her eyes, and holding out her hands in open palms, "I have to hold back when fighting in that dojo. But here, I have no restraints." She then called her weapons, a long black chain with a large spiked ball attached to each end. Her armor gauntlets then spawned three curved black claws out form the knuckles, "You cannot match my rage." The Queen Berserker said as she opened her eyes, show them as blood red with the iris resembling a small ball of fire.

"Ga." The group looked over to see Lancelot address the students, Neo followed close behind, "Aa."

"Oh," Mash responded, "He says Neo wants to fight Penthesilea."

"What?" Penthesilea responded, "Why would I fight someone so small."

"You're one to talk," Yang said with a grin.

"HEY!" Penthesilea turned back in anger.

"Hey, height doesn't matter at all," Mordred added on, as she crossed her arms, "Among other things."

"Neo, why do you want to fight her?" Jekyll asked, but Neo answered with a smile as she changes the orientation of her eye color with a blink, causing him to sigh.

"Fine, you can be my warm up." Penthesilea agreed, "But be prepared to take some real damage," causing the other students to spread out. Neo called her umbrella and opened it, resting on her left shoulder.

 _Neo._

"Don't let her break your glasses," Medusa called out, "They're your only spare." However, Penthesilea only focused on Neo, causing Medusa to sigh.

"Ga..." Lancelot spoke again.

"He says you two can start." Mash translated, "And to go until your unable to fight."

Penthesilea screamed in a battle cry before jumping forward a high speed, extending her right knee. However, Neo ducked the first hit. The Queen Berserker skidded on the ground for a few meters before stopping. Neo stood back up as she had a smirk on her face, but she soon had a sudden realization as she heard the clanking of the chains. She noticed Penthesilea pull the spiked balls attached to the chains towards her, heading also to Neo on their path. The pint-sized girl jumped the spiked projectiles before landing back on the ground. once she had reeled back her weapons far enough, Penthesilea began to swing the spiked balls in a circle.

As Neo landed, she looked to see the Queen Berserker had launched another assault with one of the spiked balls. The pint-sized girl rolled out the way, but the weapon's impact on the ground caused a fiery explosion. Neo had barely any time to recover as Penthesilea continued with the other spiked ball, screaming with each swing, "I will crush you!"

The rest of the class watched on from the distance, "Yikes," Yang commented, standing next to the two members of Team JNPR, "She's really angry." She then turned Jaune and Nora, "Do I ever get that angry?"

"…Nope." Both teammates said at the same time, but Yang noticed the pause.

Near them, Emerald stood next to Fran and Lancelot as they looked on, "She's practically insane," She commented before turning to the two, "Not all people in the Berserker class act like that?"

"…Aa." Both Fran and Lancelot said at the same time, but Emerald noticed the pause.

Jekyll had his fists clenched as he watched on, "Come on Neopolitan," He said to himself as he focused on the fight, "Find an opening, and don't get hit." He then looked over to see Mash and Mordred grinning as they looked at him, "What?"

"How did your trip go?" Mordred said as she crossed her arms, still grinning, "Anything interesting happens?"

"Yeah," Mash added on, with a slight giggle, "You seem a little different." Jekyll's face turned slightly red before he turned away from his teammates to focus back on the fight. Mordred and Mash then looked at each other with a slight smile.

"This is bad for your friend," Medusa said to Jekyll, "She's dodging well enough now, but if Penthesilea gets one hit in, it won't be pretty." Her comment caused Jekyll to grit his teeth

Back at the fight, Neo continued to gain distance from Penthesilea, causing the Queen Berserker to reel back both her spiked weapons. They collided with each other in midair, radiating a fiery aura as they stuck together. Penthesilea screamed as she swung the combined weapon.

Neo watched as the massive spiked ball came down on her. She jumped back to dodge, but once the weapon collided with the ground, it created a plum of fire around the area. Neo held out her umbrella like a shield, stopping the fire. However, the pint-sized girl heard something rushing her from ahead. Her eyes turned white as she saw the black claws slice the fabric of the umbrella. Penthesilea ripped through Neo's defenses and attempted another claw slash. At the last moment, Neo unsheathed her hidden blade from the umbrella, blocking the strike, "Too weak." Penthesilea said with an as Neo gritted her teeth. The Queen Berserker adjusted her stance, pushing past the blade, and slashing Neo's face. The pint-sized girl fell a few feet from her opponent landing face first on the ground. Blood dripped from the tips of Penthesilea's claws.

"Neo!" Emerald called out.

"Hey!" Yang yelled out to the Queen Berserker, "That's going a bit too far, don't you think!?"

"She's the one that wanted to fight Penthesilea," Medusa added on, "She brought this on herself thinking she could beat someone like her only by dodging."

Yang glared back at Medusa, but the two then noticed something odd with Jekyll. His hair changed to dishevel as his teeth flared like sharp fangs. He held his knife in his right hand as his eyes glared a hate-filled red, "How dare you!?" Hyde said as Penthesilea turned to him, "You will pay for that!"

"Oh, the scrawny man wishes to fight now?" Penthesilea commented as she turned to the group, "Fine, that fight was much of a warm-up anyway." Hyde then took a step towards the Queen Berserker. However, he stopped as a look of shock came on his face. the other students had a similar look of misunderstanding, while Penthesilea had a look of confusion. She then turned around to where she saw the others looking.

On her feet, Neo stood back up. Over the left side of her face were three vertical slash marks, the middle one over her destroyed left eye. Her right eye was brown as her breathing was tired, holding her hidden blade in her right hand. However, she grinned as she closed her right eye, opening it to the iris changing to pink, "No…" Jekyll softy said as his expression changed to sorrow, "You should have stayed down."

"Oh," Penthesilea said as she put her hands on her hips, "You have the spirit of a warrior, but you and I both know this match is over." Neo then adjusted her grip on the hidden blade, "You can't har-" Suddenly, Neo rushed forward while Penthesilea was in mid-sentence, putting her in shock. She plunged her sword towards the Queen Berserker's head. The group looked on in shock as it appeared Neo stabbed her opponent in the face. But upon closer examination, Penthesilea had caught the tip of the blade by biting it with her teeth. Penthesilea had a mixed look of fear and anger as Neo changed her eye color back to brown. The Queen Berserker reel back her right arm and tried to slash with the claws, but Neo jumped back. However, as she did so, she aggressively pulled her blade out of Penthesilea's mouth, cutting the right corner of her mouth in the process. Once Neo recovered, she grinned as she readjusted her stance.

Penthesilea gritted her teeth as she glared at Neo, "Fine, I'll just rip out your other eye!" She shouted before rushing toward Neo, reeling back her right arm. The Queen Berserker tried to slash at her opponent, but the pint-sized girl ducked the hit, stabbing Penthesilea in the abdomen. Penthesilea looked down in a rage as Neo glanced up at her, change her eye color back to pink, "Drop dead!" Penthesilea shouted as she raised her left hand before swinging it towards Neo. The pint-sized girl back dashed to dodge and Penthesilea's claw got stuck in the ground. Neo then rushed back towards Penthesilea and ran past her. In the process, Neo grabbed her glasses. Once she stopped a few feet away, she put them one, changing her eye color back to brown. Penthesilea started to hyperventilate in a rage as she turned around, but her eyes not as focused as normal.

"She's winning now." Jekyll commented, "How?"

"I get it," Medusa said as she crossed her arms, "She dodges until she knows her opponents fighting style, then moves into offensive based combat." She then turned to the assassin in glasses, "It's adaptive, but it's almost a gamble against certain enemies of it working the way she wants."

"Yeah, if your opponent surprises you, That's all it takes," Yang commented as she saw Neo continue to slash Penthesilea, who was now unable to land a hit, "But if the plan works, there isn't much the opponent can do expect to get angrier until they are knocked out."

"And she took off her glasses, so she can't see right," Jekyll commented, "She just needs to knock her out quickly."

Back to the fight, Penthesilea fell to her right knee as her breathing became heavy. Neo looked on as she readjusted her stance. She then rushed the Queen Berserker, running her hidden blade through her left shoulder, coming out the back of the shoulder blade. Penthesilea eyes slowly started to close, until they busted open in a rage, causing Neo's eye color to turn white, "I'll crush you!" Penthesilea yelled before she lunged her body forward, opening her jaw as she flared her fangs. Neo tried to block with her left arm, so Penthesilea bit into her forearm, making a cracking sound.

In the distance, Fran had a line of sweat come down her face as she grabbed her left arm. She then looked over to Jekyll, who hair began to become more disheveled. Hyde was about to rush forward, his knife in hand. However, Emerald grabbed his right shoulder, causing him to turn around and glare at her, "Calm down," Emerald said quickly, "This time, she made one before the hit."

"Wha-" Hyde said before he turned back to the fight, seeing Penthesilea's eyes twitch as Neo's arm began to crack. Neo then brock apart into glass, causing Penthesilea to have a muffled scream as she started to cough up blood. The Queen Berserker then fell back as she rolled in pain. As she looked up, in her blurry vision, she saw Neo standing near her, grinning as her eye color was pink now. The pint-sized girl lifted her right foot and stomped on Penthesilea's face, landing the final blow. Neo then took off the glasses and put them back on the unconscious Penthesilea. As she started to walk back to the group, "Neopolitan!" Jekyll ran towards her, causing Neo to have a calm smile. However, her smile soon shrunk as she put her hand near her fresh wound, "Your eye…" He said as he stood in front of her, "Why did you want to fight her like that?"

Neo then reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll. She then typed a message before showing it to Jekyll. It read, 'Did I impress you?' Jekyll then looked over to Neo's face, where she had a weak smile as she blushed. The assassin in glasses then had a weak smile as he hugged her, "Yes," He said as she hugged him back, "But you don't need to."

"We should take her to the infirmary," Mash said as they walked over to the group, "They might be able to do something about her eye." She said as they nodded walking.

"Wait!" Jaune said as he called to them, "Maybe I could try something." He then walked over to Neo putting his hand near her face. Neo had a look of disgust as she pulled her head back, "It's okay, I think I know how to heal it. I've been practicing," Neo looked up to Jekyll in slight worry. Jekyll then held tightly onto Neo before looking to Mash, who nodded as she smiled. He then looked back to Neo, loosening his grip as he smiled peacefully at her. Neo then smiled before turning back to Jaune. Jaune then placed his hand on Neo's wound, causing his body to glow in a yellow light for a few seconds.

After he lowered his hand, Neo injure had nearly fully healed. She opened her left eye, her iris brown, and a tear coming down her face as she smiled. She then looked up at Jekyll, who was also smiling, "I don't believe it, your eye is hea-" He was saying until Neo pulled his head closer to hers, kissing him on the lips. Jekyll then closed his eyes as held onto Neo's waist.

Mash smiled as she turned to Jaune, who was slightly breathing heavy, "Wow Jaune, you already have a good handling of how to heal people." She said as Jaune breathing became heavier, "Are you okay?" Mash said in worry.

"Yeah, just tired." Jaune responded, his legs shaking as his eyes started to close "I guess I should do that when I have more aura left, as opposed to right after training." He then yawned before continuing, "I think I just need a nap before I can do anythi-" He said before his eyes closed and he fell backward.

Thankfully, Lancelot caught him and held the male Arc in his arms, "Thank you, Papa," Mash said as she smiled, "He has had enough for today, can you take him back to his room." She asked with her father nodding.

The rest of the class gathered around the knocked out Penthesilea, "Again with this?" Medusa said as she knelt near her teammate, "Why do I always have to carry you?"

"Does she have a habit of this?" Yang asked, with the long-haired rider nodding, "Well, at least she didn't break those glasses." She said as Medusa had a slight smile.

"Well, our class is over." Mordred commented, "We really didn't do much."

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Yang said with a smile, "Come on, let's get something to eat in that cafeteria."

"Yeah!" Nora agreed.

"Aa!" Fran added on.

"Fine…" Mordred sighed with the others happy.

They then looked over to Emerald, "You want to come also?" Yang asked Emerald.

"Uh…" Emerald paused before she thought about, remembering her early conversation with Mercury. However, she looked back at a Yang and smiled, "…Sure." The green haired assassin responded, "What's the harm?"

"That's the spirit," Yang said with a smile as she led the back towards the academy.

 **AN: There you go, a lot of stuff happened now. You see more of the story of what happened in the past with Artoria's family drama. I talk about Guinevere a bit here, who isn't really a part of the fate series, but still has an important role for the context of this story. It does bring me to a question, what character from an already established mythology/lore in the fate series should be a fate character and what class, (For me, I want Odysseus Archer from Greek legends. He would be so cool and savvy). I wanted to also give Neo and Jekyll's relationship the spotlight because it has been neglected a little bit. Also, those are two of a couple of my favorite characters from each respective series. Jaune also shows a bit more building up of his defense and healing abilities. And Penthesilea comes back to prove how crazy she really is, also I think her design looks even cooler with the glasses. I know I didn't get to the Ruby part here, but I will start the next chapter off with that.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	37. Chapter 35 - A Child's Happiness

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is a short chapter, but it has a few very important moments for characters. Even when writing it, I got emotional during certain parts. This one shows a lot of character development and sets up some things that will happen in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 35 – A Child's Happiness**

 _Mercury._

Later in the afternoon, back in the academy dormitory in a residential part for family living, Ruby sat in at a small table across from Jack. The one room they were in was full of stuffed animals and two small beds, one in each corner. The little girl was now wearing a white gown-like dress, while the silver eyed girl was wearing her pink-rose outfit, "That dress is really pretty." Jack said with a smile.

"Thanks," Ruby responded with a slight giggle, "Yours as well." She then looked over to see, Nursery Rhyme, who was laid on a beanbag chair as she was reading from a black book, "I like your friends dress also, but why doesn't she want to join us for tea time?"

"Oh, Rhyme likes to go around the school and find new books to read." Jack answered, "Once she finds one, she sits down to read it all."

"Wow, she must be really smart." Ruby responded as she looked back at Nursery Rhyme's face turned red as she turned the page, "Where have I seen that book before?" Ruby said to herself. Suddenly, the group heard a knock on the down, "Who is it?" Ruby responded, trying to imitate Weiss tone of speaking, coming across as slightly condescending.

"Mercury," The voice responded.

"We don't know anyone by that name," Jack responded, causing her and Ruby to giggle.

A sigh was heard behind the door, "The butler has returned."

"You may enter," Ruby responded, causing the door to open, revealing Mercury with a tired look on his face.

Mercury sighed before taking a deep breath, "I wanted to inform you that the tea is heating up and will be ready soon."

"Excellent," Ruby said in a posh voice, "Bring it to us as soon as it is ready."

"And snacks too." Jack added on, "We are hungry?"

"As you wish," Mercury said as he bowed. He then walked out the room and closed the door. He then exhaled as he started to walk, "…What moron would buy a pink dress like that?" He said to himself as he felt far enough away from the room, "At least she can keep that crazy girl busy while I just have to play Butler. But where is Jack's family, especially that mother." He said as he walked by a small nightstand with a photo frame. Mercury looked down at the picking it up to get a better look at the photo inside.

Is was a picture of Jack a few years younger, smiling as she was in the arms of a beautiful woman. The woman had long greyish-green hair and a brown jacket over a green dress. The woman had an alluring smile as she held onto the young Jack, "Well, at least I know what she looks like. She's that type of mom." Mercury said with a slight grin before he noticed something absent in the photo, "No dad, must have raised her on her own." Mercury said before putting the frame down.

Mercury continued down the hall until he entered a kitchen. A teapot was already in the oven as he walked over to the cabinets over the sink. As he opened the cabinets looking for snacks, he noticed the sink full of used food containers that looked familiar to him, "For such a good mom, she doesn't seem to wash the dished. And this sink is too high for that girl to reach up here." He said before he noticed the dry blood on this inside of the container, causing him to look away as a line of sweat went down his face.

Mercury then walked over to a fridge, "Maybe something in here-" he said while opening it, noticing three more one more of the food containers, "…I'm not opening that." He said to himself before he noticed a note on the food container. He pulled off the note to read.

"Dear Jack, I'll be gone for a couple of days to visit friends in a nearby town. I hate to leave you alone, but I left you plenty of your favorite treats. Also, I had someone set up the bed for your little friend Nursery Rhyme. I also asked Atalanta to stop by and check on you if I learn I'm running late. Take care sweetie, Love Mom," Mercury read as he looked at the note, "P.S. Keep the lid closed until you want to eat it, that will keep it fresh ; )" Suddenly, Mercury had a look of confusion as he noticed something on the note, "This has a date on it, but it's over a week ago." He then closed the fridge door, "Something is not adding up."

Suddenly, Mercury heard someone open on the front door. He looked over to see the lioness faunus walking in with a mournful look on her face. Upon entering, she noticed Mercury, causing her expression to change to confusion, "Who are you?" she said in a slightly angered voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Calm down, I'm one of those transfer students." Mercury responded, slightly calming the lioness Faunus, "You must be Atalanta, the person Jack's mom's letter mentioned."

"I am." Atalanta responded, still keeping her distance, "But that doesn't explain why you are here."

"Long story," Mercury responded as he walked over to the teapot, putting it off the oven burner, "Short version, I'm keeping these kids company while their mother is away. Why, because even I don't know how I got roped into all this." His last sentence sounded tired as he looked in other cabinets, discovering a tea set,

"That's …nice of you," Atalanta responded, her voice calmer as she walked into the kitchen, "Is Jack in her room, playing with Nursery Rhyme?"

"Yeah, and that Ruby girl too," Mercury responded as he tried to set up the tea set, "Now, tell me why you are here."

Atalanta sighed before walking, sitting at the kitchen table, "If you read the note, you know that Reika is not here. And that she hasn't been here for a little while." She then looked up at Mercury, who was pouring the tea, "Well, I learned that the town she was visiting was attacked by Grimm. And-"

"Let me guess," Mercury interrupted as he sat across from her, "Jack's mother isn't coming back." his commented caused Atalanta to solemnly nod, leading to Mercury look down as he put his right hand on his face, "Damn it, she's only a kid" he said before he turned back the lioness Faunus, "What's going to happen to her?"

"The school has a system in place for people in her situation. Sadly, it's quite common for things like this to happen." Atalanta responded, "Reika had no lasting realities and lead a certain lifestyle that I didn't agree with, that's why it's unknown who Jack's father is. But, the important thing was that she truly loved Jack. Even going as far as to take in Nursey Rhyme so Jack's friend would always be close by."

"You're telling me the book kid also lost her parents?" Mercury responded in disbelief.

"Like I said, it's sadly common." Atalanta responded before putting her hand to her chest, "Even I don't know who my parents are. All I knew about them is they couldn't live in this kingdom, but they couldn't take me with them." A moment of silence fell between the two as Atalanta looked down at the table.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Mercury responded, "If it's anything, I didn't know my mom either. And I certainly wish I didn't know my dad." His comment caused Atalanta to look up at him, "So, you came over to tell her the bad news?"

"I wanted to come here sooner," Atalanta responded, slightly raising her voice, "But, how do you tell a little girl something like this?" Again, a moment of silence fell between the two.

Suddenly, a third voice spoke up, "…I'll tell her." Mercury and Atalanta turned to see Ruby standing in the hallway, "I can tell her."

"Ruby, I didn't know you were here." Atalanta commented, "And what are you wearing?"

"Oh this, we were having a tea party." Ruby responded, "But I was worried when Mercury was taking a while to get everything. So, I came over and overheard the conversation." She then walked over to the table, her eyes slightly mournful as she looked at Atalanta, "But I can tell Jack about her Mom."

"Why do you want to do that?" Mercury asked, "This girl isn't exactly mentally stable. She'll likely snap is you tell her this the wrong way."

Ruby then turned to the grey-haired assassin, "Because…I have been on the other side of this talk. I know what she might go through, let me try to be the one to tell her."

Then two sitting down looking at Ruby, whose eyes showed a mix of sorrow and understanding. Mercury sighed before he started talking, "Okay Ruby, you can tell her. But…change back to your normal clothes before you have the talk." He said with Ruby nodding. Mercury stood up, turning to Atalanta, "You and I can talk with the book girl, this will give them the room alone for a bit."

"Right," Atalanta said before turning to the silver eyed girl, "Thank you, Ruby." She said with Ruby gaining a slight smile.

 _Pyrrha._

The sun begins over the land as the day was coming to its end. In her room, Pyrrha laid on her bed. She stretched out her left arms as she held the mini-spear given to her by Vlad. As she intensely focused on it, a black aura surrounded it. However, it vanished in a second, "This is impossible!" She said to herself before putting her right hand on her face and let her left arm fall to her side, "Maybe I'm not as good as he thinks I am." Her expression changed from frustration, to sorrow, "Maybe I'm not as good as I think I am."

"Fou!" Pyrrha heard Mash's pet call from near her bed. She looked down to see that Fou was biting her mini spear, chewing it like it was a bone. Pyrrha smiled as she giggled at the sight. Suddenly, Fou stopped chewing and turned to the door. Pyrrha looked to see Mash entering their room. She back in her normal clothes and carrying a large white textbook with a paper on top under her right arm. "Fou!" Fou called as it ran into Mash's left arm allowing the female shielder to catch it and put a smile on her face.

"Hey Mash," Pyrrha said as she sat up, "How did training with Jaune go?"

"Really good, but I'm tired," Mash said with a yawn as she sat on the bed across from her. Fou escaped her arm and curled up into a ball near her pillow, "I also got the report back from my professor."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that," Pyrrha said with a smile, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you do?"

"I did alright," Mash said as stretched out her arms, "I got a B minus."

"B minus?" Pyrrha said in slight disbelief, "B-but, I told you everything I knew about polarity."

"And it helped a lot," Mash as she got up, "He just said there were a few things I didn't mention that could have made it a stronger report." She walked over to the desk, "He said I could add to the paper and resubmit, even gave me a textbook on the subject, but I'm happy with that grade." She yawned again before returning to the bed, "Besides, the last few days have been so busy I need to rest for a while." She then took off her glasses before turning to Pyrrha, "Thank you again for your help."

"No problem," Pyrrha responded before she looked over to the white textbook for a couple of seconds, "Hey Mash, is it okay if I look at that textbook?" she asked, but was met with a few seconds of dead silence, "Mash?" Pyrrha then turned to discover Mash was already asleep, as well was Fou, "…I'll just take your silence as a yes." The red hair warrior whispered before she got up and grabbed the textbook. Once she returned to her bed, she opened the textbook and began to read.

 _Ruby._

A few minutes later, Ruby had changed back into her normal attire. She walked down the hallway, passing the photo of Jack and her mom. As she got to the room, Mercury and Atalanta were already taking Nursery Rhyme out of the room. Before the door could close, Ruby held it open. She looked in to see Jack still sitting at the table, waiting with a slight smile, "Hey Jack." Ruby said as she entered the room.

"What happened, where is your dress?" Jack asked as Ruby sat down in the chair across from her, "We liked it."

"I know, but…we need to talk." Ruby said with Jack smile slightly fading, "Jack, you know your mom loves you a lot, right?"

"Of course," Jack responded with her smile returning as she looked up at the ceiling, "She loves us as much as we love her. Our Mommy is kind, helps us with homework, makes us our favorite foods, and always gives us time to play." She then turned back to Ruby, who was smiling at her, "What about your Mommy?"

"My mom?" Ruby said before you closed her eyes for a second. "She's my inspiration to be the person I want to be someday. She showed me what it was like to be calm in the face of danger, how to properly take care of my things, and she made the tastiest cookies." Ruby said before looking back to Jack, "I'm thankful for everything she showed me, and I won't forget a single thing about her."

"...Those are happy thoughts," Jack said with a weakening smile as her eyes started to water, "A couple of nights ago, we had a bad dream. Something happened to our Mommy, but then we woke up. It was just a nightmare…but…" She said as her smile completely faded, her cheeks turned red as a river of tears poured down her face. Ruby leaned in and hugged Jack, closing her eyes as she held onto the little girl, "Ruby, do those happy thoughts make this pain go away?" Jack asked while she cried.

"As time goes on, it helps." Ruby responded as she gently rubbed Jack's back, "Right now, just cry as much as you need to." She then opened her eyes part way as she looked at Jack, "Remember, she loved you with all her heart."

Outside the room, Atalanta peeked through the slightly opened door. She quietly closed it as she walked over to Mercury, who was crouching as he talked with Nursery Rhyme at eye level, "Now, you need to make sure you're a good friend to Jack." Mercury asked, "Both of you are in a tough spot right now, so you need each other to get through it."

"Okay," Nursery Rhyme responded, causing Mercury to smile, "Will you help us also?"

"I don'-" He said as he looked into Nursery Rhyme's face, seeing that straight-faced expression. Mercury sighed before restarting his sentence, "Yes, I'll do what I can." To his shock, Nursery Rhyme hugged Mercury.

"Thank you," the book child said as Mercury was about to hug her back, but she released him after just a few seconds. She then held up the small black book she was reading before, "I need to return this before they know it is gone. When I come back, can we have dinner?"

"S-sure kid," Mercury responded as Nursery Rhyme smiled. She then walked away as he stood back up. The grey-haired assassin then placed his right hand on his face, "What am I doing?" he said to himself as he remembered back to his conversation with Emerald, "I can't even follow my own advice."

"That was nice of you," Atalanta said as she walked, causing Mercury to lower his right hand, "I'll help out as much as I can as well."

"Thanks," Mercury said before looking over to the lioness Faunus, who smiled as she stared at him, "What?"

"Nothing," Atalanta said with a grin, "It's just nice to meet someone who cares about a child's happiness." Her comment still left Mercury confused, but she still smiled at him.

 **AN: There you go, Ruby has a moment with Jack, which something that I have been planning for a while now. It is sad moment but allows for both characters to bond more than ever. Mercury also shows a lot of development from how he acted at the start of the story, and Atalanta is starting to take notice of this side of him. Pyrrha now starts to begin her path of discovering new aspects of her power, and it all starts with some reading. Sorry again for the short chapter, but the next should be longer as that is the one I plan to final have Ruby get her companion as a Rider.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	38. Chapter 36 - Prepare to Ride

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This has the big moment for Ruby in it, that being her finally getting what makes her a rider. I won't spoil what it is, but it is a fate character that I really like in combination with another character. Also, I do a little flashback in this chapter to show off some younger versions of characters, included one person a lot of people have wanted to see.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 36 – Prepare to Ride**

 _Weiss._

The next morning, outside the south entrance to the academy, Weiss was in the middle of a conversation with Sanson and d'Eon, "So, you two are the rest of Marie's team?" She asked with the two nodding, "And your group is called Team France?"

"It's part of her favorite saying," Sanson responded.

"We don't exactly know what it means." d'Eon added on, "But it makes her happy when she says it."

Weiss smiled before continuing, "I have only known her a few days, but I have never seen her unhappy, not even once."

"It's what makes her so special," d'Eon commented back as he smiled, slightly blushing "She always puts others before herself, is always listening, and she never interrupt-"

Suddenly, Weiss scroll rang in her pocket, "Hold on," she interrupted as she pulled it out and opened it, "Hey Gilgamesh," She answered, leaving the two in slight shock. The heiress turned back to them, "Can you two give me a second?"

"Ah, sure," Sanson answered with d'Eon looking slightly annoyed. They walked away while she turned back to her scroll and her conversation. once they were far enough away, the man in the trench coat leaned over to the feminine boy, "She has the King of Heroes number?" he whispered in disbelief.

"More than that," d'Eon replied in a low tone voice, "He actually called her. What is that about?"

"We knew they got along pretty well," Sanson answered, "But still, Gilgamesh never calls people unless he needs something he doesn't think he can get himself. Which, knowing him, is a very small list of items." They both turned back to see Weiss pacing as she talked, "What could they be discussing?"

"…Yeah, she would actually like that class," Weiss said over the scroll, "…Oh, that works out because she has one too..." Her expression changed to one of slight exhaustion, "Of all the names, that's what you called it," Suddenly, she shrugged as she realized something, "You know, she would unironically find that name funny." Weiss then looked over to see the two boys looking at her, causing her to glare back with an icy stare.

The two then looked away, noticing Ruby walking with Marie towards them. Accompanying them was Astolfo, who was in his combat attire, but had a small limp to his walk. To his right was their teacher Iskandar and Medusa. "Thank you again for letting me join on this mission," Medusa said to Iskandar, "I needed a little break from my team."

"Do not worry, the more the merrier," Iskandar said before patting Medusa on the back, slightly putting her out of breath. He then turned to Ruby, "Besides, you can help our young Rider on her journey to get her faithful companion." He said with Ruby having a slight giggle.

"Oh, that reminds me," Medusa added on, "The other new transfer that was a rider class says she is taking lessons from a different Rider Professor. That is why she didn't want to come here."

"I did not even know there was another new Rider," Iskandar responded as he put his right hand to his chin "During our drink, Drake did not mention taking on a new pupil." He then grinned before laughing, "Granted, I had so much of my fill last night I do not remember most of our conversations."

Ruby turned to Astolfo with a look of slight worry, "Are you sure you're feeling better?" She asked him, "I mean, I heard my sister punched you really hard."

"I'm fine," Astolfo said with a smile, "I just need to take it easy." He then winked at the silver eyed girl, "Besides, I want to be there for your big moment as a Rider."

"Agreed," Marie added on with a smile, "I remember when both of us got our faithful companions on the same trip."

"Oh, you're a rider also." Ruby commented, "What is yours?"

Marie smiled as she closed her eyes. She then rushed ahead of the doing a small spin. At that moment, Ruby noticed the red rose ring on the idol queen's right hand as she moved to her face, "Come to me now." Marie said as the ring started to glow, but soon her whole body shined in a white light, "Guillotine Breaker!" She declared before Ruby had to shield her eyes from the light. When the silver eyed girl opened her eyes, she saw Marie resting sidesaddle on a horse. However, the horse was entirely made of glass, appearing with a light blue shine in its design.

"Wow," Ruby said as she ran over to the glass house, "That's so cool." Marie giggled as Ruby examined the horse, "Can I pet him?"

"Of course," Marie answered, leading to Ruby placing her hand near the horses main. The silver eyes girl's face turned to wonder as she saw the glass creature closed its eye upon being pet.

"It feels like glass!" Ruby commented, "This is such an amazing horse." In the distance, Medusa looked on with slight narrowing of the eyes.

Iskandar walked over with his arms cross, "A horse is always a faithful companion," He commented to Ruby with a smile. He then put his right-hand index finger and thumb to his mouth, whistling. Suddenly a flash of light appeared next to the King of Conquerors. Standing next to him was a black stallion of a horse. Its saddle making the color scheme of Iskandar's outfit, "but one does not need wings or to be made of glass to be outstanding." He said with the horse loudly neighing, causing the King of Conquerors "See, my Bucephalus agrees."

"Awesome!" Ruby commented as started to jump with excitement, "How do I get mine, I want it right now!"

Weiss walked over, having ended her call "Clam down," She answered, "Talking like that will tire you out and give me a headache." As she made that comment, she then turned to the professor, "Now, how does this process work?"

"The types of Grimm used the Rider Process are at a ranch not too far from here," Iskandar responded before looking to Ruby, "Unless you wish to make you mount a horse, they seem to be the only animal outside of Grimm the process works with."

"Nah," Ruby responded, "I want to see how to turn a Grimm into an animal. It sounds so awesome."

"That's the attitude," Iskandar said with glee, "We will set off now. But first, I will give you the first test of being a rider." He said pulling back his cape, revealing a short sword. The King of Conquerors unsheathed his weapon and slashed at the sky. Ruby and Weiss looked in armament as it seemed like he had cut the air with his attack, causing a bolt of lightning to crash between them and the professor. The girl's shielded their eyes from the flash. Regained their sight, they saw a large chariot pulled by two muscular bulls, "This is my Gordius Wheel, one of my other mounts as a rider."

"You can have multiple mounts?" Ruby asked, "That's so cool."

"Now, you will drive this to our destination," Iskandar commented.

"What?" Ruby responded.

"And you will ride with your teammate." The King of Conquerors added as he looked at Wiess.

"What!?" Weiss added.

"You'll be fine, your leader has the riding skill." Iskandar said before he got on Bucephalus, "And as a saber class, you should also have that skill. But, it appears you don't."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The heiress responded in an annoyed voice.

"Come on Weiss, it'll be fun." Ruby responded with a smile, "You get to ride shotgun."

"Astolfo," Marie called to the servlet paladin, "If Hippogriff is still injured, you can ride with me."

"Uhh," Astolfo said as a line of sweat ran down his face. looked at the glass body of the horse, knowing how the ride there would feel, "A-actually, I think I'll ride with Medusa."

"Oh, okay," Marie responded before turning to d'Eon, "Would you care to join me on this ride?"

"Y-yes," d'Eon responded, his face turning slightly red. as he walked to be Astolfo, the svelte paladin had a smirk on his face, causing his face to turn redder.

"Okay Medusa," Astolfo said as he turned around to face the long-haired rider, "Let's take Pegasus for a spin-" He was saying. However, he saw that Medusa had already summoned her Pegasus and Sanson was sitting behind her.

"Sorry," Medusa responded, "But Sanson already asked."

"But what about me?" Astolfo asked everyone.

Suddenly, Iskandar picked up Astolfo by his cape, lifting him to meet his eye level, "Why, you will be riding with me?" The King of Conquerors said before dropping Astolfo behind him on Bucephalus. The svelte paladin landed in a sitting position, causing a tear in the corner of his right eye, "Now, Onward!" Iskandar declared before Bucephalus neighed, racing off into the distance. Soon after Marie and d'Eon followed on Guillotine Breaker, while Medusa and Sanson took off into the sky on Pegasus.

Ruby held the rains of the chariot as Weiss stood behind her, "Do you know how this works?" The heiress asked her leader.

"Well, I think to start, I do this?" Ruby said before she pulled back on the rain. Suddenly, the bulls grunted before taking off a high speed, pulling the chariot. Weiss held onto the handrail of the chariot, while Ruby's grip remained on the rains, "Woohoo!" Ruby said in glee as they took off at extreme speeds, while a look of panic remained on her Weiss' face.

They soon passed the other, rushing right by Iskandar and Astolfo. As the King of Conquerors watched the two rushed by, a peaceful smile come on his face, "Those two…" he thought to himself before he closed his eyes, "Fate seems to always match a person of a free spirit with someone of a rational mind." he said before his mind began to wonder.

 _18 years ago_.

Outside the border of the forest of Apocrypha, a young boy road the Gordius Wheel. His hair was a disheveled bright red with a short ponytail. He wore a thin set of leather armor that exposed his midriff and a red cape around his lower waist. To his right, holding onto the handrail was a young man in a green sweater over a white-collar shirt. He wore a blue and yellow tie and had a panicked expression, "Alexander, slow down!" The scrawny man asked.

"Life does not slow down, so why should it?" The energetic boy commented back, "And I told you, Waver, my full title will be Alexander the Great. So, start calling me that now."

"But I'm going to puke!" Waver responded before his face started to puff up.

"…Fine," Alexander said with a sigh before pulling back on the rains. The bulls grunted before digging their hooves into the ground. The Gordius Wheel soon stopped with Waver falling out of the chariot. He then stumbled over to the nearest bush, the sounds of heaving being heard right after, "I want to make sure I get enough practice riding this." Alexander said as he jumped off the chariot, "It will help me when I eventually win that trial and can make that title of mine official."

"You just got that thing and ride it around like a madman!" Waver said as he wiped his mouth, "And do you think people will call 'The Great,' that's such a vague title."

"Hmmm, maybe I need a different one," Alexander said before he smiled, "That's why I like you Waver, you are always thinking about…everything."

"Why did I have to be matched on a team him." Waver though to himself as he walked back to Alexander. Suddenly, he heard something behind him. He turned back to see the forest, seeing six sets of red glowing eyes, "Alexander, we have company."

"Oh, what is it?" the energetic child said as an eager came on his face, "is it more practice?"

"It looks like it's a pack of Beowolves." Waver said as he back up. Emerging out of the forest were the six creatures of Grimm. Each snarling as the two boys, "They shouldn't be out this far, we should-"

Suddenly, one of the Beowolves lunged towards Waver in the middle of his sentence. The beast flared its fangs as it tried to devour the scrawny man. However, Alexander got in-between the two drawing a short sword in his right hand. He wedged the sword in the Beowolf's jaw. The Grimm chomped on the blade as Alexander stood his ground, "You should let someone finish talking before the battle starts. It is rude otherwise." Alexander told the Grimm before glancing back at his teammate, "Now, what were you saying?"

Waver had a focused gaze as he reached out his left hand. Suddenly, a book formed in his hand titled, Homers Odyssey. "I was going to advise us to find help." Suddenly he glowed in an orangish light, "But now, I command you to fight." He said as he pointed to Alexander.

Suddenly, the energetic boy also glowed in the same light. He began to push back against the Grimm's strength as he started to laugh, "As you say, team leader." Alexander said before he slashed the Grimm's lower jaw off. Before the beast could recover, Alexander stabbed it in the chest. The Grimm stood for a few more seconds before falling backward, landing dead on its back.

Two more Beowolves charged at the energetic child. However, Alexander held his left hand to his lips, making a whistling sound. Once the two Grimms were a couple of feet away, they turned toward the sound of bulls stampeding towards them. While pulling the Gordius Wheel, the bulls trampled the two Grimm.

Waver watched as another two started to approach him. He is extending his right hand before quickly thrusting it upwards. Suddenly, an explosion happened underneath the two beasts, launching them into the air. Waver then moved his arm horizontally, creating a yellowish wave of energy that cut through the air. The wave collided with both creatures, bisecting them in midair. Once they fell back to the ground, Waver looked over to Alexander with a joyful smile. However, Waver had a concerned look as he scanned the area, "Where is the last one?" He asked his teammate as they scanned the area. Waver then found the Beowolf making a run towards the academy, "There!" Waver said as he pointed.

"I'm on it," Alexander said he started to run towards the creature.

"What are you doing, get on the Gordius Wheel" Waver called, "You can't catch it on foot."

"Never said I was," Alexander responded as he ran, "but, I want to make sure everyone gets a little practice today." The energetic boy then jumped a few feet into the air. Again, he whistled, but the sound was slightly different. Appearing underneath him was Bucephalus, who neighed as he caught Alexander on his saddled. The two rode towards the Beowolf at high speed. as they closed in on the pear, Bucephalus jumped into the air. The Beowolf turned back and looked up to see the horse plummet towards him. Bucephalus landed on the creature, crushing its back with the hooves. Alexander looked down to see the Grimm no longer moving, causing him to pet his horse.

Alexander rode back to Waver, who felt relieved "Well, we saved the town from an invasion."

"Come on Waver," Alexander said with a raised eyebrow, "It was just one weak Beowolf. It's not like it was the pack leader." He said before the two heard a rustling in the forest. Waver started to back up as he saw a much larger Beowolf walk out of the forest. Its bones were more jagged, and it stood twice as tall as the other Beowolves did, "Oh, there's the pack leader." Alexander said before the Grimm roared.

Waver and Alexander readied for the fight to continue. However, they dropped their guard upon hearing another loud rushing from the wood, as if something was rushing towards them. They then heard a jumping sound, then looked up to see a hooded man in armor over blue robes. He held a blue and gold sword with a radiant aura with both hands. The pack leader Beowolf was about to attack the two distracted boys before the blue clade knight landed on him. He ran the radiant sword through the back of the Grimm's skull, killing the creature instantly. Blue clade knight pulled his sword out of the creature, holding his weapon with his right hand while he moved his right over his hood. He pulled off his disguises, revealing a young blond man with a joyful expression.

"Wow," Alexander commented, "Nice sword." Suddenly, Waver smacked his teammate with the book, "Ouch, why did you do that?"

"Do you know who this is!?," Waver said to his teammate before he pointed at the blue clade knight, "This is the King of Knights, Professor Arthur Pendragon!" Waver then bowed as Alexander had a look of confusion, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir. We are two new students to this academy and were just practicing outside the border of the academy. We knew it wasn't as safe as inside the school, but my teammate said it was a better place to practice his riding abilities."

"There is no need to explain yourself, you have every right practice out here." Arthur responded as he hopped off the now disintegrating Grimm, "It was my fault for not dealing with the Beowolves swiftly enough. A small pack got away from me before I realized it." he then placed his left hand on his chest and bowed, "I thank you for combating the foe and winning like you did. Your teamwork was superb." His comment caused Waver to smile as Alexander grinned. Suddenly, the sound of a new growl was heard.

Alexander and Waver readied as they looked to the forest for next enemy. However, the had a look of confusion as nothing was there. They then looked back to Arthur whose face was slightly red, "My apologies, but I have not eaten in a while." He then composed himself before making his sword disappear, "I will need to head to the cafeteria, would you two want to join me."

"Yes!" Waver instantly responded.

"But I wanted to practice more," Alexander replied to his teammate, who looked back at him in anger, "But, I guess I can wait till I have had a little snack." He said with a grin.

"Perfect," Arthur responded before he started to walk back towards the academy, "I do hope my tea is ready." He said under his breath.

 _Present time_.

In the headmaster's office, Shishigou sat across Zhuge Liang, who sat in a desk as he smoked, "So, that was the first time you meet Arthur?" the necromancer said as he lit his own cigarette, "And then, he ate about five meal courses from the cafeteria." Shishigou added before he blew smoke into the air, "Yeah, that's Arthur for you."

"It was the first time I met him," Zhuge Liang added, "But also the last time I saw him as a male." He then put out his own cigarette and looked at Shishigou, "It was only a few days later that I heard he had changed to a female due to a flaw in the class change process."

"Yeah, I know the rest of the story from there," Shishigou sighed before he puffed his cigarette again, "You know, Mordred still thinks she ruined her dad's life." He said as he placed his left hand on his head, "She's a good kid, but she blames herself for everything bad thing that happened to Artoria after that day."

A moment of silence fell between the two, "You're a father to her," Zhuge Liang commented, causing Shishigou to move his hand away from his face, "That's why we cannot tell her anything about this operation. She is still hotheaded, involving her could result in the same thing that happened a year ago."

"Yeah," Shishigou responded, inhaling smoke before puffing it out, "I tried looking for Artoria after she went missing, but nothing ever came up."

"Then you need to try harder now," Zhuge Liang responded causing the necromancer to have a single laugh, "You and Kiritsugu knew her the best outside her team, of whom we can't ask to look for her right now." He then had a serious expression as he looked at Shishigou, "If she has tried this hard to stay hidden, there has to be something she knows about this new looming threat."

"Well, I can't promise I'll find her. Or her alter, if that thing is running around," Shishigou said as he finished his cigarette, standing up, "But it if does, I'll let you know before we head out to ask her a few questions."

"Thank you," Zhuge Liang said before he turned around looking out a window over the land of Apocrypha, "I don't know how much time we have until there next move."

 _Ruby._

After a while of traveling, the group arrived at their destination. They had reached a small wooden cabin near the edge of the forest. Once the Gordius Wheel stopped, Weiss fell out and landed on the ground, her head spinning, "I did it, I drove the chariot!" Ruby said as she jumped off the chariot, "I have never gone that fast before, you Weiss?"

"I think I'm going to vomit," Weiss wheezed as she looked at the ground.

"Oh," Ruby said as she looked at her teammate in slight worry, "…you want me to hold back your hair."

"No," Weiss said as she started to get back up, regaining her composure, but putting her right hand on her head, "Just…give me a second."

Soon after, Iskandar and the others caught up with the two members of Team RWBY, "Excellent work Ruby, you passed the first test." The King of Conquerors said before dismounting his horse, "Now, you can pick your Grimm for the second test."

"Cool," Ruby said before a question came to her mind, "But, where is the person that runs this ranch?"

"Hmmm," Iskandar said as he examined the area, "She must be out right now." he then looked at Ruby and smiled, "We will just see ourselves in."

"Did you get a chance to decide what type of Grimm you wanted work with?" Astolfo asked as he carefully got off the horse, "They have all kinds here, Well, not the super dangerous ones."

"Well, if I pick a Grimm," Ruby asked, "How do I know what animal it will turn into."

"That's a good question," Marie said as d'Eon helped her off the horse, "The animal created will be the general species of the Grimm you pick. Their shape and construction change to correlate with the soul of the rider, but they maintain some of the key animal characteristics of the original form."

"Right, with horses it's a lot easier." Astolfo added on, "But take my Hippogriff. He used to be a Grimm Griffin before undergoing the Rider process." He then winked at the silver eyed girl, "Why he looks the way he does is due to my soul making that change from a scary monster to the loveable guy he is today."

"What he means is that the process is also unique to each Rider," Medusa added on looking over to Marie, "Enough we both choose horse. Mine turned into one with wing and yours turned into one made of glass. That is just how the process changes the Grimm into something made for the Rider."

"Ohhhh." Ruby said as she looked on in wonder before looking to Iskandar, "Will I get tested on this?"

"Nope," Iskandar said with a smile, as he wandered around the ranch, "I never liked those written paper, so I don't make my students take them."

Ruby smiled as Weiss sighed. The heiress then looked back to Marie, "It's only riders who this process works with?" She asked the idol queen.

"Mostly, there are a few expectations," Marie responded, "Like one upper class who was in the assassin class performed the process with a King Taijutsu." She then turned back to Ruby, "So, the best way to decided is what is it you most want to ride?"

"Well...," Ruby said as she remembered her daydream of a few days ago, her face turning slightly red. Suddenly, she had an idea, "I know, I'll pick a Beowolf."

"A Beowolf?" Weiss responded, "Why would you want that?"

Ruby mutter to herself in an almost whisper "Giant Flying Zwei…"

"What?" Weiss responded.

"Nothing!" Ruby said as she was about to catch up to Iskandar, but she stopped herself, "Oh, how do you come up with names for these creatures. Do I get to name mine?"

"Well," Medusa answered, "The names made during the process." She answers caused ruby to have a confused look, "Once you send part of your soul into the Grimm. A reverb will occur, which is the new creature telling you the name."

"That's pretty cool," Ruby responded, "But I kind of wanted to name it Zwei The Second." She muttered to herself before rushing towards Iskandar, leaving a plum of rose petals were she once stood. The others followed as she found Iskandar in front of a large metal cage, "I picked a type, Beowolf."

"Excellent," Iskandar said before he looked at the cage, "I found one right here." Ruby looked in to see a Beowolf sitting in the corner, it snarled as it glared at the two, "These creatures have caused so much chaos to the world of Remnant." The King of Conquerors said before turning back to Ruby, "But now, we can have them help people. When in the control of a proper rider."

"How does this process work again?" Ruby asked.

"You know how to call Noble Phantasm Weapon?" Iskandar asked, with Ruby answering by forming her Crescent Rose in her hands, "It is just like that feeling, but you focus on the Grimm." He then looked at the ground, causing Ruby to notice a magical circuit on the ground and in the cage, "This area is already made to enhance that feeling, allowing part of your soul to combine with the Grimm. You just have to try."

"O-okay…" Ruby said as she nodded before looking at the Grimm, who glared back at Ruby. Ruby then had a line sweat fall down her face before she closed her eyes. after a few seconds, nothing happened. Iskandar was about to speak up, but then he noticed a whitish aura surround her. the magical circuits began to glow in the same light and the Grimm started to become covered in that same light.

"What is this?" Iskandar said before he looked back to Ruby, who opened her eyes with a silver light radiating from them. However, he then noticed the Beowolf snarled as before it started to thrash becoming more covered in the light. The light that surrounded the area began to expand beyond the circuit. Suddenly, the Beowolf lunged at Ruby, its right claw extended as its body glowed more violently in the aura. Just as the claw slipped past the bars, Iskandar pulled Ruby back as he jumped away. At that moment, the white light reached its peak, causing Iskandar to have a look of panic.

As the rest of the group were a few meters away, they saw a large explosion over the area, "Ruby!" Weiss shouted as she shielded herself from the blast. Once the noise settled, she turned to Medusa, "Is that part of the process?"

"No," Medusa responded in worry, "That's not supposed to happen."

The group then ran over to find Iskandar on the ground, "Where's Ruby!?" Astolfo asked as Iskandar got up. The svelte paladin looked to see Ruby in Iskandar's arms.

"I shielded her from the blast," Iskandar said as he looked down at Ruby, who no longer had the aura around her body.

"L…L..." Ruby tried to speak as she opened her eyes, "Lo…"

Suddenly, the group heard a wolf howl behind then. They looked back to see the smoke clearing over the rest of the area. were the cage once stood, only broken scrapes of metal remained. Weiss called her rapier, expecting a Grimm. However, she had a look astonishment as the smoke cleared. In the center of the circuit was a massive male grey wolf, but its fur was a mix of blue and white. Around its paws were pieces of metal that resembled that of the cage. However, they were reshaped into that of bear traps clamping on him. It snarled as it glared at the group, "What is that thing?"

"Lobo." Weiss turned back to see Ruby back on her feet, "He said his name is Lobo." Ruby then looked over to see the grey wolf. She then noticed something missing. The silver eyed girl then looked to see her Crescent Rose on the ground near Lobo. She then looked back at the grey wolf, seeing him looking at the weapon. Suddenly, Lobo lunged at the weapon, "Hey!" Ruby called as she saw Lobo biting on Crescent Rose, his teeth around the middle handle of the weapon. He snarled while holding the weapon, glaring at the silver eyed girl. Ruby took a step towards the grey-wolf, but Lobo barked back, maintaining his hold on the Crescent Rose. He then turned around and ran into the woods, "HEY, give that back!" Ruby shouted before running after Lobo.

"Ruby!" Weiss called out, but her leader did not hear her. The heiress then the gritted her teeth before running after her team leader.

Iskandar and Team France followed close behind, with a look panic filling Medusa's eyes, "This is not how this process works!" She said as they all ran into the woods.

 **AN: There you go, the mount Ruby creates in the Rider process is Lobo. It may seem wild, but if you think about both characters and what they have in common, it makes more sense. Sorry to end on a cliffhanger, this storyline will continue in the next one. I hope people also liked the flashback part, showing off Waver and Alexander before they became their adult versions was fun to do. And it also let me show a small bit of Arthur before his major change.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	39. Chapter 37 - See What I See

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is the big battle against Lobo, something I really enjoyed writing. Thank you again for all the support you have given me on this story it really means a lot. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 37 – See What I See**

 _Weiss._

In the forest, Ruby chases after Lobo. The two dodge the trees and branches as the silver eyed girl starts to catch up. She reaches for the end of his tail, but Lobo quickly turned around, the edge of Crescent Rose lined to hit Ruby's head. At the last second, Ruby jumped straight up to dodge the hit. She grabbed a thick branch to slow herself down before looking back down at the massive grey wolf, "No Lobo, that's a bad dog!" Ruby said as Lobo growled at her.

In the distance, Weiss caught up with her leader, "Ruby, you have to control that thing!" The heiress said as Lobo turned his attention to her, "Try to recall him, or at least your weapon so it's not armed." She said as she assumed a fighting stance with her Myrtenaster.

"I'm trying, but nothing is working." Ruby said before Lobo rushed down towards Weiss, "Watch out!"

Weiss created a black glyph on the ground in Lobo's path. Once he stood over it, the glyph glowed and exploded, sending him flying into the air. Weiss then adjusted her stance before jumping towards Lobo, her rapier aimed at his body. However, Lobo glanced back to see the heiress coming. Suddenly, a gunshot was fired out of Crescent Rose's launching Lobo out of Weiss path. Weiss had a look of panic as he was now heading on straight towards Ruby. She lowered her to not accidentally stab her leader, but still crashed into the silver eyed girl, knocking them into a bush on the ground. Lobo landed back on the ground and turned back to that bush.

Ruby held her head in pain as she and Wiess remained hidden, "He knows how to use my Crescent Rose." The silver eyed girl whispered, "That is bad, but kind of awesome." Weiss glared at her team leader before smacking her on the head, "Ouch."

"Focus Ruby, we need to think of a way to control that thing." Weiss responded, "You told me a while ago you owned a dog, right?"

"Yeah, a cute tiny one named Zwei, you'd love him," Ruby responded back, "But Lobo is like…fifty times Zwei's size!"

"Well, he's still a dog." Weiss retorted, "How do you get Zwei to listen to you?"

"That depends," Ruby commented as she had a somewhat serious face, "Do you have a fully cooked chicken on you." Wiess then had a look of disbelief before smacking Ruby on the head again, "Ouch, you asked for my advice!" Ruby said as she held her head in pain.

"Yeah, I see why that was a bad idea now." Weiss responded before trying to look over the bush, "That thing has been quiet lately, maybe he-" as she peeked over the bush, she saw Lobo stab the ground with Crescent Rose, the end of the barrel aimed at the two girl's location. She cut herself off as she created an ice barrier from a glyph. At that moment, Lobo fired a shot from Crescent Rose. Weiss fell slightly back as the round almost made it through the ice barrier, "He's shooting at us now!" Weiss shouted to her leader.

"Really!?" Ruby responded as more rounds collided with the ice barrier, "…How is he pulling the trigger?"

The area went silent. Ruby looked over at Weiss with caution as they waited for a noise. Suddenly, the ice barrier shattered as Lobo crashed through it. The massive grey-wolf pushed both the girls in the different direction. When Ruby recovered, she looked over to see Weiss still on the ground and Lobo walking over to her. Her silver eyes filled with panic as she saw him raise her Crescent Rose. Her eyes started to glow as was about to rush forward. However, in the corner of her eye, she saw Sanson rush towards Lobo.

Lobo also saw the man in the trench coat approaching, his right hand raised as he held a large weapon. He jumped out of the way of Sanson's downward swing. Weiss started to get up as she looked at his weapon. It was a steel flat sword with a curved tip, "Thanks, I guess you ran ahead of the others," Weiss said as she stood back up, glaring at the weapon, "That looks like something made for executions." She said with slight resentment.

"The others had trouble making it through the forest." Sanson responded before tightening his grip on the weapon, "And I only need this for executing Grimm,"

"Lobo isn't a Grimm anymore," Ruby said as she walked over, her eyes now no longer glowing, she then looked over to the massive grey-wolf glaring at them, "He's just scared."

"He was about to kill me." Weiss responded while pointing at Lobo, "Look I like dogs, but not that one."

"Well technically, he is a wolf." Sanson corrected, "Dog is not that arcuate of a classification." Weiss then glared back at him.

"He's part of me," Ruby said to Weiss, "It's my aura that turned him into that form." The silver eyed girl said before she looked over at Lobo, "Let me try something." She said before slowly approaching Lobo. The massive grey-wolf growled as she approached her hands in the air, "It's okay, it's okay, I don't want to hurt you." Weiss and Sanson watched on as a line of sweat fell down the heiress' forehead. Ruby reached out her right hand as she was a couple of feet form Lobo, she slowly placed her hand on his head, petting his left ear. Ruby smiled as she looked into his yellow eyes. However, the eyes suddenly glowed in a blueish light, causing Ruby's to suddenly glow silver again.

 _Lobo._

In her mind, she saw the image of a large Beowolf running through the forest. Its body was larger than most and is fangs sharper. It slowly halted as it sniffed the ground. Suddenly, its red eyes dropped as in a look of sadness as it ran to the left. Upon hoping a bush, the Grimm found another Beowolf. However, this one's back left leg was stuck in a beartrap. In was chewing on its own flesh for freedom. Despite its leg being heavily damaged, it was still trapped. The other Beowolf approached the trapped one, biting the beartrap, but made no damage. The trapped Beowolf looked over to the one still trying to free it, making a slight yipping noise sounding like a plead. The larger Beowolf turned to the trapped one, growling before returning to biting the beartrap, causing the trapped Grimm to whimper.

Suddenly, the trapped Grimm heard a chopping sound as a look of fear filled its eyes more than before. It yelped to the Grimm trying to free, but it did not hear reach it. The larger Grimm then heard someone approaching but was too late. As it turned around, the flat head of ax crashed against its head, sending it flying into a tree. Its body fell limp as he barely remained awake. It looked over to see the trapped Beowolf barking at someone. The lager Beowolf tried to get up but fell back down. As its eyes slowly closed as it saw the ax drop over the trapped Grimm's skull.

Upon opening its eyes, the larger Beowolf found itself in a metal cage. While it looked at the bars, its jaw already partway open, it stopped itself. As it closed its mouth, its eyes dropped in sadness upon closing its eyes again. Once it slowly reopened its eyes, the Grimm saw a bowl of food placed in the cage. However, the Grimm did not move as it stayed in the cage, its body much thinner than before. More time passed as the Grimm's body thinned out heavily, it closed its eyes once again.

One more time, the Grimm reopened its eyes to discover a large man standing outside the cage, looking at the Beowolf. Suddenly, the Grimm saw a little girl stand next to the massive man. The Grimm snared at the two, its red eyes glowing redder. It watched as a scythe spontaneously formed in the little girl's hand's as she looked at the Grimm. Soon after, a light surrounded the Grimm as it felt a sudden surge of power. It focused on the girl before rushing forward with the intent of carnage.

Ruby pulled back her hand as she had a look of panic. At that moment, Lobo snarled before running off into back into the forest, "Lobo wait!" Ruby said as she reached out to the massive grey wolf.

"Ruby, what did you see?" Weiss asked as she and Sanson ran over.

"I think I saw…his memories." Ruby answered in an unsure voice before locking to them man in the brown trench coat, "How is that possible."

"Well..." Sanson tried to respond, "If I had to hypothesize, it must be a byproduct of the rider process," He said as Ruby looked confused, "After all, the two of you are connected now thanks to infusing some of your aura into his new form. However, this is still not a normal outcome of the procedure."

"We get that part," Weiss said slightly angered, "But, how do we stop that thing from running into towns and destroying everything."

Ruby then spoke back up, "I don't think that's what he wants," the others then looked back at her for an explanation, "What I saw…he lost someone, another Beowolf. One he really cared about, so much that it took away his will to live when a person that killed that other Grimm."

"Ruby, it's a Grimm. You and I have killed literally hundreds of these monsters," Weiss responded, "They can have a small amount of intelligence, but they are literally the embodiment of negative emotions. What could it feel?"

"The pain of loss," Sanson responded, causing Weiss to look back at him, "These creatures only feel what people consider negative emotions. Emotions that are unhealthy or damaging to people's happiness: rage, greed, resentment…" He then turned to Ruby, "Even depression, it does not take a large amount of intelligence to feel sad over the loss of something you cared for. And if they are made from these feelings, it is possible for them to understand those emotions as well."

Weiss remained quiet as she gritted her teeth, so Ruby spoke up, "It's why I think he's not heading for a town, but that person."

"Revenge is another negative emotion," Sanson added, "You imply the person who killed the other Grimm." He said with her nodding, "That was most likely the rancher here."

"Well, where is she?" Weiss asked. At the end of her question, she and the others felt the ground shake in a sudden quake. It lasted only a few seconds as if something massive had to take a single step, "What was that?" Weiss asked in fear, "Are there Goliaths here also?"

"Not the one you're thinking of," Sanson said as he looked up but could not see the sky past the tree lines, casing a look of confusion on both girl's faces. He looked back down at them, "We need to get higher to see where she is."

"Wiess," Ruby said as she turned to her teammate, "High ground."

"I got it," Weiss said as she already created a black glyph, acting a platform as she jumped on it. She jumped over the tree lines, standing above the forest. Upon a quick scan of the area, her eyes widened at what she saw., "I…I…," Weiss said as she was a loss for words.

"What do you see?" Ruby yelled up to her teammate.

"You need to look at this yourself," Weiss yelled back, "For my sanity, I can't comment on what I'm looking at."

Ruby had a look of confusion before turning Sanson. Suddenly, the two heard a crashing sound behind them. They turned to see Iskandar on his Gordius Wheel, the bulls rampaging through the trees like nothing. Both students tried to jump out of the way, but the King of Conquerors grabbed Ruby by the hood, pulling her onto his chariot, "Hello Ruby," Iskandar said with a smile as they rode, "How has the chase been going thus far?"

"It's complicated," Ruby said as she regained her balance, "Where are the others?"

"Further back," Iskandar responded, "They had far more trouble passing through the trees on horseback. So, I took the initiative with my chariot." He said with a look of slight concern filled his eyes, "I do hope she will not be upset."

"Is that the rancher?" Ruby frantically commented back, "That is who Lobo is going for."

"In that case," Iskandar said before he cracked the reins. The bulls made a sound of anger before lighting sparked from their leg. Ruby held on as the chariot began to rise, "Well, see her from here." He said as they soon passed the skyline. Ruby had a look of confusion for a second, then changed to something of a panic as she saw what Weiss mentioned.

In the not so far distance, she saw a gigantic little girl. Her size rivaling that of a Goliath Grimm. She wore a green heavy jacket, hat, and gloves. In her right hand was a massive ax with a double sharpened head. The ax-wielding girl slowly looked down to see something some approaches. She raised her ax as a look of rage filled her eyes. When the ax hit the ground, the whole area shook in the trauma like before, "Who is that!?" Ruby commented.

"That is the rancher, Paul Bunyan," Iskandar answered.

"She's Huge!" Ruby said as they flew on the Gordius Wheel. Suddenly, she heard a howl coming from was Paul had struck the forest with her ax. Upon closer examination, she saw Lobo jump onto the handle of the ax. He sprinted down towards Paul's right hand, stabbing the flesh between the thumb and index finger, easily piercing the fabric she wore. Paul screamed in pain as she let go of the ax, pulling her right arm back. Lobo remained on her hand with his teeth still biting Crescent Rose. He adjusted his position and started running up Paul's arm with the weapon still embedded in her body, leaving a trailing gash behind him, "There he is!" Ruby pointed.

Approaching the distance, Weiss jumped from black glyph platforms to get closer to the giant. As she moved, she heard a horse neigh from behind her. Turning her head back, she saw Medusa riding her Pegasus in above the tree line and next to the heiress, "Can you give me a lift?" Weiss asked with Medusa nodding, prompting her to jump on the Pegasus' back. The two flew at high speeds towards the giant.

On Paul's right forearm arm, Lobo continued to run with Crescent Rose embedded in the arm. Suddenly, Iskandar and Ruby jumped off the chariot and landed on a few meters in front of the massive grey wolf. Lobo stopped as he glared at the two. He then turned his head back to see Weiss and Medusa jumping off Pegasus, landing a few feet behind him on the forearm. Weiss created a black glyph near her and her friend's feet, stabilizing their balance. Lobo pulled out the scythe and barked through his teeth, glaring at Ruby, "Lobo, you don't have to do this." Ruby called out to the massive grey wolf, who remained unflinching. However, Ruby's gazed now angered as she looked back, "Why are you so stubborn!?" She said with Weiss looking at her with contempt.

Suddenly, Lobo rushed towards Ruby and Iskandar. The King of Conquerors intercepted the massive grey wolf, the blade of Crescent Rose collided with Iskandar's quickly drew shorts word. The two weapons sparked as they ground against one another, causing Iskandar to smile. At that moment, Lobo's ears twitched as he heard a chainlike noise. He looked back to see Medusa wielding a pair of silver spikes attached to each other by a long chain. She tossed the spike in her left hand at him. However, Lobo shot a round from Crescent Rose. Pushing him back and having the spikes new target be the King of Conquerors.

Before the spike could hit him, Ruby grabbed in with her left hand. Weiss then focused her black glyphs on Ruby's feet. The silver eyed girl then pulled the chain upward, causing it to pass over Lobo's body, like a jump rope over someone's head. Lobo tried to fire another shot, but nothing came out, as his magazine was empty. Ruby grinned before sprinting around the circumference of Paul's forearm. The chain soon wrapped around Lobo's body, pulling him back down, and trapping him against the forearm of the gigantic girl, "Got him!" Ruby declared when she stopped next to Iskandar.

"Fine work," Iskandar commented as Lobo growled in frustration, causing him to turn to the massive grey-wolf "No use in struggling, you are trapped," He said, but Lobo's eyes glowed like before. while still insured by Medusa's chains, he still had possession of Crescent Rose. With what movement he had, he repositioned the weapon, so that the blade had stabbed Paul's arm again.

"AHHH!" Paul screamed, causing the others to cover their ears in the responses to the cries of pain. With tear's forming in her eyes, she gritted her teeth as she glared down at those on her right arm, "GET OFF NOW!" She declared before raising her left arm, reeling it back before thrusting it towards the group.

"No Paul, wait-" Iskandar tried to plead before the oncoming attack, but it was too late. Paul's swatted at them, the force of her palm pulling them all off their balance and into freefall. All except Lobo, as the chain forced him to endure the hit. Medusa quickly lost grip of her chain as she, but her Pegasus managed to capture her soon after. Fell Iskandar was pushed near Weiss as the two plummeted back down to the ground. However, he whistled, causing his Gordius Wheel to appear below them, and allowing them to land on the chariot. As soon as she recovered, Weiss looked up to see Ruby still hanging onto the chain as she dangled from the end.

As Ruby held on, she felt the chain becoming less taunt. Lobo soon started to get up as he slashed Paul again with Crescent Rose. Paul screamed as reel back her left arm like before, but her eyes showed a more intense hatred. However, Lobo dodged this strike, jumping on Paul's left arm, and started to run up it like before. Now freed from the chain, but part of it still coiled around the Crescent Rose, pulling Ruby along on his path.

Ruby's eyes focused as she began to the climb the chain. She quickly approached Lobo as he reached Paul's shoulder. Before the giant girl could react fast enough, Lobo lunged towards her throat with Crescent Rose already reeled back, "Lobo!" Ruby said as she jumped off the chain, rocketing her self towards the massive grey-wolf. She collided with his back, holding onto him tightly, causing his aim to falter and missing Paul's neck. However, their momentum caused both to free fall back to the ground from such a height no one could survive.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted in panic as Iskandar cracked his reins on the bulls. The chariot raced to catch them before they could fall, but a look of dread filled the King of Conquerors eyes as he knew there was too much distance between them.

Ruby watched as they plummeted to the ground. within a few seconds until impact, she closed her eyes. However, at the last second, she reopened them with a silver light emanating. Her and Lobo's bodies were encompassed in the light before vanishing mere inches from the dirt. Iskandar pulled back his reins at the bulls landed back on the ground with a thud and a dust cloud from the impact, "I see," He said with a grin before turning back to Weiss, who was coughing from dust inhalation, "Your leader took a big risk with what she just did."

Weiss cleared her throat before talking, "What are you talking about," She asked in a panicked voice, "Where are they!?"

"Oh, what she did was-" Iskandar was saying. However, he stopped himself as a sudden shadow covered him and the heiress. They both looked up to discover Paul had raised her right leg, the large boot over their position. The gigantic lumberjack glared down at them with eyes of hatred as she thrust her foot downwards.

With little time to react, Weiss stabbed the ground with her rapier. She created a dome of ice around them. Paul's boot was stopped by the ice barrier, but Weiss and Islander looked to see it cracked just a few over their heads, "Why is she attacking us!?" Weiss asked in distress.

"She still thinks Lobo is on the ground here." Iskandar commented as the ice began to break more, "And your defense has trapped us under her boot." He said before he looked back to his Gordius Wheel.

"We're going to die here," Weiss said in a horrified realization as she looked at the ice break more. She then turned to Iskandar, who had his arms crossed with a smile on his face, "Why are you smiling!?"

"Do not worry," Iskandar comment back, "Medusa will take down Paul."

"How!?" Weiss responded.

 _Medusa._

Still flying her Pegasus, Medusa looked over that the enraged Paul looking down at were She was stomping her foot, "Oh no." Medusa said to herself before she glared Paul, "I'm all that is left, so I will stop you." Suddenly, Pegasus neighed before it began to gallop higher in the sky. As they increased in speed, they created a beam of light on their path, "I'm sorry, I'll destroy you gently." Medusa whispered to herself before she u-turned in the sky, her and her Pegasus glowing in a teal colored light, "Bellerophon!" She declared just as Paul looked up at their approaching attack.

However, the gigantic lumberjack could only make of look of confusion before the long-haired rider crashed into her forehead. The force of the impact caused Paul's eyes it turned white as she fell backward. Her boot lifted over the ice barrier just as it was about to shatter. The body of the gigantic lumberjack smashed into a large number of trees before coming to a stop. While on the ground, the body began to shrink as it disappeared were Weiss and Iskandar stood. With his arms still crossed, he turned to the heiress, "This is how." He said with Weiss sighing.

 _A few minutes later._

Astolfo and Sanson rode Bucephalus while Marie and d'Eon on Guillotine Breaker followed, "This way," Sanson pointed in the direction they traveled, "They should be just over here."

They continued to until reaching a clearing. There, they found Iskandar sitting on a rock Weiss paced, "Ah," Iskandar commented, "You have finally arrived."

"What happened!?" Astolfo asked as he got off the horse, "Where's Ruby!?"

"Apparently, she is stuck in her reality marble or whatever it's called." Weiss answered in a slightly angered voice, "She and Lobo both."

"What!?" Marie responded, "How!?"

"I don't know, it was out of instinct to save their lives," Weiss said in a spiteful voice, "But, she still hasn't come out yet."

"If she is there with Lobo and she still hasn't come out yet," Sanson commented, "Maybe he killed her?"

"Don't say things like that!" Astolfo responded abruptly, tears starting to form in his eyes, "Ruby is fine, s-she just taking her time."

"Why would she be taking her time," Weiss responded, "She is the only one who can bring people in and take people out of her reality marble." She said before looking to Iskandar.

"That is correct," Iskandar responded before sighing, "I planned on helping her with this skill after we had gotten her accustomed to her new mount."

"Yeah well," Weiss commented as she crossed her arms, "Things don't always go according to plan." She then looked over to see the svelte paladin glaring at her, "What?"

"Aren't you even the least bit worried?" Astolfo asked the heiress, who had a look of confusion, "About Ruby, she could be dead?"

"I realize that!" Weiss responded, "But letting my emotions run wild is not going to bring her back. The important thing is to stay calm and wait." He then took a breath before continuing, "If nothing happens in a while…then that is what I will tell my teammates."

"You know, that's something an Ice Queen would say," Astolfo said while he glared back at Weiss, "Not a friend." At that moment, Weiss' piercing gaze focused on Astolfo more than before but, Astolfo remained unmoving as he looked back at her. Suddenly, Marie pinched and yanked his right ear, "Ouchouchouch." The svelte paladin said in pain.

"Astolfo," The idol queen spoke in a harsher voice than her normal tone, "Do not say such hateful things. Otherwise, you will you will have me to deal with." She said as Sanson and Weiss had a look of unease, while d'Eon looked also in slight fear, but his cheeks slightly red, "Now, apologize." Astolfo gritted his teeth as he looked back to his team leader.

Suddenly, the group saw a white flash in the distance just pas a few trees. Marie loosened her grip, letting Astolfo and Weiss lead the way as they ran towards the light. Upon arriving, the light had faded. However, they discovered Lobo with Crescent Rose in his mouth and Ruby unconscious on his back. Weiss readied her rapier to fight, but Lobo just looked at her for a few seconds. He then lowered his head, dropping Crescent Rose on the ground. Weiss and Astolfo had a combined look of astonishment as Lobo laid down, allowing Ruby to gently slide off his back and onto the ground.

"Ruby!" Astolfo said as he ran over to her, "Say something, anything!" he said as he slightly shook the girl.

 _Summer._

A while earlier, Ruby's eyes glowed in a silver light before the light covered the area around her and Lobo. In an instant, the two teleported to her white void reality marble. Rather than crashing into the ground, Lobo found his momentum had stopped and his footing regained over some part of the white void. He snarled as he looked back to Ruby, but the silver eye girl was barely awake as she fell off his body. She laid on her back as her breathing became sporadic. Lobo turned to her as he raised the Crescent Rose still in his mouth, the pointed end aimed at her neck now.

Just as he was about to end the girl's life, a wolf's howl was heard from behind. He looked to discover nothing but a blank white. However, the outline of a woman who matched Ruby's physique, wearing a white cloak, glared at Lobo with silver eyes.

Lobo snarled towards her as his eyes glowed in a lightish blue light. He was about to attack the apparition-like being, but then he noticed someone walking behind her. it was not a person, but another wolf. However, this one was female, and its fur was near fully white. As she walked over to Lobo, his eyes opened wide as the Crescent Rose fell out of his mouth. He then walked over to the white wolf, letting out a smile cry before rubbing his head against hers. The white wolf responded in kind, a look of joy filling both their eyes. The white cloaked woman walked to Lobo, kneeling to meet him at eye level down.

Ruby tried to look over to where the apparition and the wolves were, but her vision was still blurry. Lobo then looked back to Ruby with a cold stare, but then he turned back to the apparition waiting a few seconds before lowing his head as if to nod in agreeance to something. The apparition then nodded back before walking over to Crescent Rose, picking it up and putting it back in Lobo's mouth.

"M-mom!" Ruby called out as she looked at the aspiration, causing the white cloaked woman to walk over to her, "Mom please," She spoke in a weak voice, using that as the last of her strength to remain conscious, "Please, say something." Ruby pleaded as the apparition knelt next to her side. Slowly, Ruby's eyes closed. That last things she saw was the white wolf walk over as well. The white cloaked woman placed her hand on the wolf's head. Right before Ruby's eyes closed, she saw the white-cloaked woman say something, just one word.

 _Ruby._

"Bl..bla.." Ruby tried to say something as she started to wake up, outside of her reality marble, "Blanca!?"

"What?" Astolfo responded as Ruby held her head. Her commented caused Lobo to have a slight head turn, but he still rested his head on the ground, "What's a Blanca?"

"It's …it's." Ruby said as she held her head in pain, suddenly remembering something, "The other wolf, the white wolf."

"What other wolf?" Weiss asked before glaring back at Lobo, "And why is this one not acting like a psychopath!?" She said with Lobo glaring at her, but not moving. Iskandar and the other caught up and looked at the situation in confusion.

Ruby turned to look at Lobo, "It's the one I saw in your memories." She said as the massive grey-wolf turned back to her, "Just not a Grimm version."

"That's impossible," Weiss responded, "You said you saw the other Grimm die."

"Weiss…" Ruby said as she tried to stand up, Astolfo helped her up, "There is something I need to tell you."

"That you have a reality marble, yeah, the professor told me." Weiss said before she pointed to Iskandar, "But you haven't told anyone of your team yet, not even your sister."

"That's because…I-" Ruby was saying.

"No." Weiss interrupted, "If you had to keep it a secret, I'm sure you had your reasons." The heiress then had a slight smile as she disappeared her rapier, "When you feel comfortable to tell them, you can tell them as a team."

"Thanks," Ruby said with a smile, causing Astolfo to smile also. The silver-eyed girl then looked to Lobo, "Back in there, what you saw also, it told you not to harm me." Ruby said with Lobo looking content, "You don't want revenge anymore, because Blanca is there, and she's happy." Ruby had enough strength now to stand on her own, having Astolfo let got of her. She then knelt to pet Lobo on the head, "So, will you help me?" she said with Lobo nodding his head, causing Ruby to smile, "Good boy." She said before looking at her Crescent Rose, picking it up, but having a slight look of disgust as she looked at the handle and trigger covered in drool and teeth marks, "Ewww, I need to make you're your own weapon from now on." She said to herself before she recalled her weapon.

"Excellent," Iskandar said as he addressed the group, "Everything turned out well in the end." He said with a smile before a look of confusion filled his eyes, "But I feel like I am forgetting something."

"Hey!" the group turned to see Medusa walking towards them. She carried a little girl sleeping who wore the same outfit the gigantic lumberjack had on. The little girl also had a bump on her forehead as Medusa adjusted her grip, "It took a while, but I found Paul after she shrunk back to normal."

"That is the same girl we saw before," Weiss responded in disbelief, "So, she can change her size to something that massive?" she said with Medusa nodding, "Even so, why is a little girl out here all alone with this job?"

Iskandar grinned as he crossed his arms, "Well, I would say she is big enough to take care of herself." He then began to chuckle as Weiss groan, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Please don't," The heiress said with Ruby smiling, "I get enough of that from one of my teammates already."

 **AN: There you go, Lobo's now a part of Ruby's Noble Phantasm's as her mount for her Riding Class. I will update the servant sheet in a few chapters after a couple more things happen, showing how some other character have changed since coming to the academy here. I do like the legend of Lobo and mixing it with the Grimm concept here, it made the creatures a bit more sympathetic in my eyes. I did also like how confident a lot of these character were this chapters, I makes them feel a lot cooler when I write them and makes them smarter. Next chapter will focus on some characters back on Chaldea. Also, since both Rwby and Fate have a video games coming out soon, the former being a fighting game and the latter a warrior's game. I was wondering, what video game character do you think would be amazing if summoned as a servant, (Like a collab event in FGO type of thing). Since Sony does make a lot of money off Fate Grand Order, I don't think it is imposable to say Kratos couldn't make a cameo. If it was the original Ghost of Sparta, he would have to be a berserker class. E3 is coming as I am posting this, so you never know.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	40. Chapter 38 - Connections

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you again for the support this story has gotten. We are just about to hit over 100,000 views on the story as a whole! That is insane to me and I am truly grateful. This chapter has me show off the last of the fate students, except for a certain two in a little bit. This is a very relationship focused chapter, seeing how character act around one another and have changed since coming here. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 38 – Connections**

 _Blake._

In the Chaldea library, Blake sat in front of a computer as she typed. Once she opened up a new window, it showed a video feed of a black screen with the message searching for a signal. After a few seconds, the blond monkey faunus showed up, "Sun!" Blake said with a smile.

"Hey," Sun responded as he waved, "It finally worked."

"Yeah, Jeanne told me that connection here to Vale is pretty poor for video chat," Blake said as she noticed static in the image.

"Well, I wanted to see you," Sun said before he had a bored expression, "Nothing has been happening here. White Fang is hiding under some rock. Roman has been quiet lately. And the rest of my team is still traveling here."

"You could have come here with us," Blake responded, "This school is great, especially for Faunus."

"Look, I'm already visiting this kingdom and skipping the classes they wanted me to take." Sun commented as he grinned, "I don't need to go to another kingdom to do the same thing." He then put his hands behind his head, "I suppose if I did go, I would improve that schools handsome scale by a large sum."

"Hey Blake," Achilles called out as he walked over to cat Faunus, "I was looking for you." As the young hero walked into the frame of the screen, Sun lost his balance as he fell out of his chair, "Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, you two haven't met," Blake responded as Sun quick got back in his chair, "Achilles, this is Sun. He is a friend from back at Vale."

"Nice to meet you," Achilles said as he smiled at Sun, "Any friend of Blake is a friend of mine."

"Yeah, friend." Sun said as he glared at Achilles as the video static started to spark, he then turned back the cat Faunus, "Listen, Blake, I ch-" Suddenly, the video feed cut out.

"Sun?" Blake responded as she tried to fix the problem, but nothing worked, "I was hoping to talk with him more."

"Yeah, you're better off doing text when it comes to cross-kingdom communication." Achilles responded, "But, we should go get lunch now. They have a noodle stand for today, we sure get there before a certain someone does."

"You're right," Blake said as she got up, smiling at Achilles, "Thank you for reminding me."

"No problem," Achilles responded as the two started to walk out of the library, going down the hallways of the academy, "You seem to like Professor Chiron's class. He tells me the two of you sparring every now and again."

"We have. Professor Chiron has been trying to train me in combat without the use of my semblance or weapon," The cat Faunus responded, "It has been very difficult, but I am slowly making progress."

"I can relate to that," Achilles responded with a sigh, "When I first started, I wanted to use my spear and chariot as much as I wanted to in combat. But he told me to train my body so that I would never need to rely on those things to win a fight." He then turned back to her and winked, "You just have to keep at it and you'll see how strong you'll become."

"Thank you," Blake said with a giggle, "So many of the students and teachers are so nice."

As they walked, they made it into the cafeteria. They quickly noticed there was a new set up a wooden stand near the back corner. It already had three seats already set up, but the middle seat was already occupied with students. She was a young woman with pink hair, which was accessories with a large disk-like hairpin for her ponytail. She wore a short, sleeveless, deep blue gi and on black stockings on her arms and legs. On each side of her were a pillar of empty bowls, each staking at least twenty-five bowls high, "Are you kidding me," Achilles commented as he heard the slurping sound coming from the blue gi girl, "Every single time."

As he spoke, the blue gi girl turned around her eyes a light lilac color as a piece of noodle hanging out of her mouth. She then smiled as she sucked up the noodle, "Better luck next Achilles." She said before noticing Blake, "Who are you?"

Achilles sighed, "This is Blake Belladonna, one of the transfer students form Vale." He said before turning to the cat Faunus, "Blake, this bottomless pit is Miyamoto Musashi. But everyone just calls her Musashi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you-" Blake said, but suddenly, Musashi got up approached her, starring a few inches from her face, "Uhh?"

"You're from Vale!?" Musashi asked, "Are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?" Blake asked. Her mind when through the possibilities of things to do with the White Fang.

"That there is a noodle shop that can serve portions the size of boulders!?" Musashi responded, easing some of Blakes worries, "I have heard about it, but I couldn't imagine something so wonderful."

"Oh, well yes. There is one in Vale," Blake responded, "It's a small startup location form an old man, but he does give generous portions." She said with Musashi eyes glowing with happiness, "He even lets you customize your order if you want." Her last comment caused the blue gi girl to fall back in her seat, her face turning red, "Are you okay?"

"I'm just a bit light-headed," Musashi responded as she put her right hand on her head, a pair of chopsticks in her hand, "I'll be fine after I eat more," she then turns back to her current bowl, continuing her meal with a slurping sound.

Achilles walked over to the noodle stand counter, pushing aside the right-side bowl pile, "Musashi, even for you, this is a little excessive."

Musashi just finished picking up the bowl and drinking the rest of its contents, "Well, I worked up a big appetite training with Li Shuwen and Suzuka."

"That was yesterday!?" Achilles responded while Musashi was handed another bowl, "Do you ever stop eat!?" he asked, but she answered with the slurping sound of starting her new bowl of noodles.

"Who's Suzuka?" Blake asked.

"She is someone you should avoid," Achilles responded as she turned to Blake, "Seriously, I know you just said a lot of the people here are nice, but she is a different case altogether."

"She's also right there," Musashi said as she pointed to Achilles' right. He turned to discover a young girl in a white school top with a red skirt. Her long hair was light orangish color, with a set of fox ears atop her head. However, it was not her only Faunus trait as she had a puffy tail, not to the six of Tamamo, but more well-ground. She carried a blue bag in over in her left arm with a sword in a red sheath attached to the bag, "She really is a sneaky fox."

"Hello Achilles," Suzuka said. As she talked, her sharp canine teeth were very apparent to her speaking, "You know it's not nice to talk to people behind your back." She then moved her left hand towards her sword as Achilles gritted his teeth, "Especially, when the person has the only skill that can harm you." The foxy school girl said before an awkward silence fell over the group, "…JK!" Suzuka said before putting her left hand to her mouth. Achilles letting out a slight sigh. She then giggled before looking over to Blake, "Oh, you're one of the new transfers."

"I am, my name is Blake Belladonna," Blake responded, "What did you say right now?"

"JK, just kidding." Suzuka said with a smile, "It's my little catchphrase, it earned me the nickname of JK Saber." She then looked up to see the cat ears on Blake's head, "You're a Faunus too I see."

"Yes, I am," Blake said as Suzuka walked closer to her, leaning in close, "What are you-"

"Listen to me catgirl," Suzuka whispered to Blake in a slightly enraged voice, her fangs gleaming as she spoke, "Don't think you can get what boy you want with those cute little ears of yours. Anyone I have eyes on, you better back off."

"What!?" Blake responded, "I don't know-"

"Don't play dumb, I know your type from a mile away," The foxy school girl grinned as she interrupted, "You like to pay the innocent girl, the pure ray of light in the worst situation. So, a big, strong man will become along and be there to protect you." She said with a look of horror filling Blake's eyes, "You just string them along with your hopeful ideal, making them think they have a chance with you of something more." she then took her right hand, pointing up with her index finger and began twirling, "Tell me, how many boys do you have around your finger."

"No, I-" Blake responded in defense.

However, Suzuka interrupted again, "JK!" She said with a giggle, but Blake was not laughing, instead, a look of fear was on her face, "What, I told you what my nickname was, didn't I?" Blake remained speechless as the foxy school girl smiled, "And FYI, you can have Achilles if you want." She said before glancing back at the young hero, "He's not my type anyway." She then turned back to Blake, "Bye." Suzuka said with a wink as she waved, walking away from the group.

Blake had a look dread fill her eyes as she watched Suzuka leave. She then turned back to Achilles, who sighed again, "I tried to warn you." He said with Blake still in shock.

"Yeah," Musashi said as she finishes another bowl, "She's not exactly a fun person to be around unless you're a cute guy."

 _Emerald._

In the residential side of the academy, the home to where Jack and Nursery Rhyme lived opened. Out walked the two girls followed by Mercury, "Thank you for the meal." The book child said in a polite tone.

"Yeah, it was almost as good as Mommy makes," Jack said with a smile.

"Thanks, kid," Mercury responded, "You two enjoy class while I clean up here."

"Okay, bye." Both girls said at the same time before they started to walk away. Before she turned the corner, Jack turned around to wave at Mercury. With a slight smile, he waved back. After she left his line of sight, he lowered his hand with a slight sigh.

"What are you doing!?" Mercury jumped in light surprise when a voice called to him from the other end of the hallway. He turned around to find Emerald sanding with her hands on her hips, "I go to your room and couldn't find you. I didn't expect you to be having a sleepover with TWO LITTLE GIRLS!"

"Quit Yelling!" Mercury responded. He then quickly looked around before grabbing her right arm and pulling her into the room, closing the door. He then looked through the eye of the door, "I don't think anyone else was around to hear that, I don't need those type of rumors spreading. He then looked back to Emerald, "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Then answer my question," Emerald responded, "What are you doing here. And I swear, if it is what I think it is, I will-"

"It's not that!" Mercury interrupted, "Come on Emerald, you know me better than that." He said as she glared at her, causing him to sigh, "Look, those girls just learned yesterday that their mother, Jack's mom, was killed by Grimm." He said with Emerald become a bit calmer, "So, one thing led to the other, and I stay here for the time being taking care of them."

"That doesn't sound like you," Emerald responded in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know, but that's what happened," Mercury responded before walking further into the room with Emerald following. They soon made it to the kitchen, were Emerald noticed four plates at the table of already eaten food, "The plus side, so long as I look after them, I get to sleep here instead of that closet from before. And it is my own bed here in case you were wondering." he said as he picked up the plates.

"That's a selfish reason, so I guess I believe that part about your story." Emerald said before she sat in the chair, "Who was the fourth plate for?"

"This girl I met, Atalanta." Mercury said as he put the dishes in the sink, "She is the one who pulls some strings to let me stay here. She also is helping me look after them, even going to town to get more food after I realized there was nothing left here. Well, nothing I can cook with." As he turned around, he saw Emerald look at him with slight confusion, "…What? You didn't think I knew how to cook?"

"You never mentioned it before?" Emerald comment back.

"Yeah well, I'm self-taught," Mercury responded as he sat down, "Not a lot of good memories of cooking for my dad, who was a fussy eater when he was drunk off his ass." He said sighed as rubbed his eyes, "I don't know how I stood up with him as long as I did."

"I see," Emerald responded before a silence fell between the two. She then spoke back up, "You mentioned another girl, Atalanta. What is she like?"

"Well, she is on the short list of people I have met here that hasn't tried to kill me or break my legs. That's a plus," Mercury responded, "Other than that, she's nice and kind of cute. That's it."

"That's it?" Emerald said with a slight grin.

"That's it." Mercury responded with a narrow gaze, "You want to talk relationship, how are things with you and Roman."

"Robin!" Emerald angerly responded, "And…nothing happened. I didn't even see him that much yesterday. I spent most of my time hanging out with Nora and her friends." She then had a slight smile on her face, "I actually learned a lot about them. Ironically, family trouble seems to be very common."

"Great, we should make a club," Mercury said sarcastically. He said with Emerald having a look of slight worry, "What else?"

"I also learned about Nora's past," Emerald continued, "Lost her father soon after she was born, mother went into poverty and had to raise her daughter without a home." A tear formed in her eye as she continued, "Her mom died of starvation before Nora was even seven. Then she was on her own for a little bit before her town was attacked and she found Ren."

"That's pretty sad," Mercury responded, "That also sounds like your history. Except you never knew your parents, and you were alone for a lot longer on the streets."

"Yeah, until I met Cinder. She gave me a new reason to keep on surviving," Emerald said as she quickly wiped her face, "That's why I want to help her achieve her plan, but…"

"You don't want your new friends to get hurt in the crossfire," He said with her nodding, causing him to sigh, "Well, I tried to warn you," He then crossed his arms before continuing, causing her to glare at him, "But, if you want my advice now, just enjoy yourself now."

"What?" Emerald commented.

"If you start acting distant now, they will suspect something's up." Mercury responded with a slight smile, "So, just continue to act normal. Have fun with your new friends while you can." He said before his expression turned serious, "But, you can never tell them about who we really are. It will end even worse for both sides if you do."

"I get that," Emerald responded, "But what about-"

Suddenly, he interrupted her, "This won't make it any easier during the next phase of her plan. In fact, it will make it a whole lot harder on you…and now me," Mercury responded tightly gripping his arms as he paused, "Cinder is the boss, what she says is what we follow." He then loosened his grip and sighed before continuing, "And she did tell us to live a normal life at this school while, so she could get that new power." he then grinned as he spoke, "For us, normal is something we aren't used to."

"Taking care of two recently orphaned girls you just met isn't normal." Emerald responded with a slight laugh, causing even Mercury to chuckle, "But, I get what you are saying." She then got up and started walking back to the door out of the room. However, she stopped near to door to look back at him, "Thanks Mercury, and good luck." Emerald said with Mercury nodding once before she continued walking out of the room, closing the door behind her.

 _Yang._

In the north section of Chaldea Academy, Mordred and Yang followed Gilgamesh, who walked with his hands in his black jacket pockets, "You really think this will be fun?" Yang asked the King of Heroes.

"My judgment of quality is always accurate," Gilgamesh said as he glanced back at the blond berserker, "Besides, I ask your teammate, The Queen of White if you would enjoy this class and she agreed."

"You mean Weiss," Yang asked, "Yeah, we just call her Ice Queen." She said before she crossed her arms, "Still, why would she think I would like an Economics Class."

"Well," Mordred commented, "It really isn't an economics class." She said before the group made it a large metal double door. Gilgamesh stool aside with a grin as Yang had a look of confusion. She then walked up and pushed the doors open. Up seeing what was inside, Yang's eyes light up in awe. It was a metal workshop, full of different cars and automobiles, but mostly different motorcycles. Each motorcycle had a unique build, engine, and frame. Some hung above via chains, while others were already being worked on.

"This is incredible!" Yang responded in glee, causing Gilgamesh to smile as Mordred looked at him in confusion, "But, I still don't get why this is called an economics class?"

"Because Gold is Good," a male voice answered from inside the workshop. Yang looked to see a blond man with purple tinted sunglasses walking to her. He wore a black biker outfit with yellow lightning bolts design on his pant legs, "That is the only thing I care about in the world of economics, no matter what other people say. So, if I ask you that on a test, you give that answer, I'll give you an A." He extended his right hand to Yang, "But where are my manners, my name is Sakata Kintoki."

"Yang," She said with a smile as she shook his hand, "Nice shades."

"Thanks," Kintoki said before he let go of her hand, "Now, you may be wondering why this classroom looks like a garage. Well, since I already taught you the golden rule of life. I needed a way to pass the rest of the class time." He then looked over to Gilgamesh, "That's when Goldie over there gave me the idea to turn this class into what you see today. He even helps me afforded the parts to make all these rides."

"Goldie?" Mordred though to herself as she looked at Gilgamesh, who had a confident smile.

Yang turned back to Gilgamesh, "You like motorcycles?" she asked with him giving a slight grin, "That's pretty cool."

"Wait till I show you my current project," Gilgamesh said as he walked to the right corner of the workshop. Yang followed as Mordred noticed the blond berserker's eyes focused on the king of heroes a little different than before, causing the pride knight to tilt her head in confusion. They followed the King of Heroes to a motorcycle covered by a black tarp. In one pull, Gilgamesh pulled the tarp off, revealing a heavy framed, bright yellow bike underneath, "I give you, the Gilgil Machine." He said looked at the bike with pride before turning to the others "What do you think?"

"I think it needs a better name," Mordred said to herself with a grin, "Right Yang," She then looked to her roommate, but was shocked to discover her in a chuckling.

"I love that, that's a great name for a bike." Yang said with a smile, causing Mordred to look at her in disbelief, "Mine's called Bumblebee, but I don't have her with me now."

"Well, we can always make a new bike for you here," Kintoki added on, "A Bumblebee 2.0 if you will."

"That sounds awesome," Yang responded to the biker teacher before turning to Gilgamesh, "Mind giving me a hand, Goldie." Gilgamesh grinned before he nodded. He led to way for the blond berserker it the piles of spare parts.

Mordred was about to follow them, but she heard a voice coming from under a car being worked on. She walked over to discover a pair of golden boots sticking out from underneath. She pulled on them, dragging out Nobu from under the car, her face full of grim and oil slouches, "Hey, I'm working here!"

"Why are here?" Mordred responded.

"Why not, it's an easy A class." Nobu said as she stood up, "Besides, I need something to balance out the other class I don't pay attention in. And I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

"Fine," Mordred said with a sigh as she looked around, "Your other teammates here?"

"No," Nobu said as she found a rage and started to wipe her face, "Medusa went on some rider mission with a bunch of other students. And Okita is still trying to help Penthesilea find her contacts." Once finished with the rag, she threw it over her shoulder, "Did you want something?"

"Actually," Mordred said as she looked over the workshop, still seeing Yang and Gilgamesh in the distance, "You see my roommate over there?" she said while pointing.

"Yeah," Nobu responded, "She's hanging out with Gil, weird?" she squinted, noticed Yang turn to an unaware Gilgamesh. Her eyes half opened a slight smile, "Ohhhh, I get it now."

"What?" Mordred asked, "I don't, why is she looking at him like that." She said with Nobu turned back to her, "Come to think of it, I have seen him give her that same look when she wasn't looking either. What does it mean?" Nobu started to pull her away, causing those Mordred to get angry, "Hey!"

"It means you should give them their time alone," Nobu responded as she walked before speaking softly to herself, "Yikes, Artoria really did a poor job raising her if she can't tell what affection is. Or, what it leads to."

"Did you say something?" Mordred asked.

"Nope," Nobu spoke back, "Help me work on these cars, would you?" She asked with Mordred sighing. She then looked back to see Yang and Gilgamesh laughing, but didn't know why.

 **AN: There you go, Sun gets a little camo here, which may turn into something more. You see also Blake and Achilles hanging out a bit more since Blake is still a little tense with Atalanta now. I loved writing Musashi and Suzuka here, they were both fun to introduce. I also liked writing Mercury and Emerald's dialogue, I do really feel they have grown the most since the start of this story. Then I get to reveal Kintoki, who is his rider version for this story, and his twist on economics. It also fits since that is the current event in FGO. Since I brought it up, what is your favorite FGO event and/or event servant? For me, I did like their crossover with Garden of Sinners with Shiki, but now I must wait a couple of years for it to come back around again. And finally, you see who Gilgamesh was talking about with his call with Weiss. It is a pairing I think people will like in time, as I feel those two have a lot of things in common and work well together. There will be an ark soon that will show them interacting a lot more.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	41. Chapter 39 - Progress

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is a bit of a short one but shows a lot of what most of the RWBY characters have learned while at this school. Since most of the other players have been shown, I can move time a little faster now. For instance, this chapter takes place three days later from the last one. Meaning this transfer process has been going on for a week now. This hopefully will not make this story too long and lets me show the growth in what has already been established. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 39 – Progress**

 _Ruby._

A few days later.

Racing down the plains of Apocrypha, Ruby rode on Lobo's back holding unto his fur as if it were the reins to guide him. She smiled in excitement as she focused of the academy's east entrance. Once they were a few meters away, the massive grey-wolf shifted his body to the right. His paws and the beartraps on his legs dug into the ground, creating four shallow trenches in the soil before coming to stop at the entrance. Lobo them readjusted his body and howled.

"Good boy," Ruby said as she petted her mount. She then jumped off his back and knelt to look at the beartraps, "Are you sure these things don't hurt you? I could try to pull them off." Ruby asked, but Lobo shook his head.

Suddenly, the two heard a screeh in the sky. The looked to see Astolfo and Weiss riding Hippogriff. The majestic creature landed near them, it's body fully healed from the earlier battle, "Ruby, did you have to take so many detours?" Weiss asked as she got off Astolfo's mount, "The others must have gotten back hours ago."

"Come on, let them have some fun," Astolfo responded to the heiress, "They trained in the forest for three days, let them run around in open field for a change."

"It was really fun, it's like when I'm going top speed. But when I go that fast, I usually can't concentrate that much, and it tires me out quickly." Ruby said as she resumed to put Lobo behind his right ear, looking at him with a smile, "Look, Lobo isn't even breathing hard. He is so amazing." She complimented with the massive grey-wolf calmly nodding. Ruby then turned back to Astolfo, "Thank you again for all your rider advice; you, Marie, Medusa, Professor Iskandar. Oh, and even Rancher Bunyan and her great pancakes."

"Just don't mention that last part to Nora," Weiss commented, "I heard she changed classes once already, and I don't want to think what she would turn a Grimm into."

"No problem Ruby," Astolfo said with a wink. Suddenly she looked over to the entrance to the academy, noticing Yang and Martha walking towards the group. He began to sweat as he quickly turned back to Ruby, "I-I have to go. Iskandar said to take some time to relax back here before you two start the next phase of your training." He rapidly spoke before adjusting his grip on the reins of his Hippogriff, "Bye!" He declared before taking off, just as Yang showed, looking up at him leave with her irises red.

Yang then looked back to her little sister, the red color changing back to their normal lilac, "Ruby!" she called out as she extended her arms.

"Yang!" Ruby said as she ran over to her sister, hugging her, "Where's Blake?"

"Well, she was going to welcome you and Weiss back." Yang said as she let go of Ruby, crossing her arms with a grin, "But, when I told what you described as your mount. She suddenly remembered she had an important test in one of her classes." She then turned over to massive grey-wolf, "So, this is him."

"That's Lobo," Ruby commented as he slightly bowed his head, "He says hello… he's a little less vocal than Zwei is."

"Ah, he's just shy," Yang said as she walked to the massive grey-wolf. She then began to pet him on his back, causing the massive grey-wolf to grin. Suddenly, the blond berserker wrapped her arms around Lobo's mid-section, "Up you go!" She said before lifting Lobo in the air as if he was cradling a small child, causing Lobo's expression to change to one of slight worry, "It's okay, I got you." Yang reassured as before she looked over to her teammates, looking at her in confusion, "What? I got a little stronger also these past couples of days."

"That's right," Martha commented as she looked to Yang, "You have been taking to my lessons and fighting style quite well." She then looked over to the silver eyed girl, "She has also talked very highly of you, Ruby Rose." The ruler teacher said with Ruby Blushing and Yang grinning, "I used to be part of the Rider class before changing to a Ruler, so I understand how much work you must have on your plate now."

"You changed from a Rider class?" Ruby commented, "What happens to your mount?"

"Nothing much, you can still call them even in a different class. However, it can strain the bond between the two depending on the change." Martha said as she had an uneasy smile, "I would introduce you to Tarrasque, but he doesn't want me to summon him unless it is absolutely necessary. Or else, he gets very tense." She said with a laugh as Ruby and Weiss had a look of confusion. The ruler class then looked over to Yang, "Anywho, let us resume our training at the beach."

"Sure," Yang said before she put down Lobo, turning to him with a wink, "Watch over Ruby for me." She said softly as she patted his head. Yang then walked over to Martha as the two-headed away from the academy entrance and towards the forest. Ruby waved goodbye to her sister before she and Wiess walked into the academy.

 _Cinder._

At the von Einzbern mansion on the roof garden, Cinder and Irisviel sat across from each other at a circular white table. The white-haired lady had a small dove, a familiar made of her hair and mana, on her right shoulder. She watched as the black-haired archer brushed her right hand against her hair, pulling a single strand of hair off her head. The strand then glowed with a slight fiery tint. It folded and took the shape of a raven, resting on her index finger as Cinder grinned.

"Impressive," Irisviel complimented, "You're already at this stage in just a week."

"I have always been told I am a fast learner." Cinder said as she let the raven room free, prompting Irisviel's dove to join it. the two familiars flew overhead as the woman look up at them with a content smile, "Your son, and even Chloe, have even shown me more of the trace magic." The black-haired archer then raised her right hand calling one of her short swords. However, the blade soon glowed with a bluish light as she held it, "I believe this part of the process is enhancing the object's durability." She said confidently as the white-haired lady began to laugh, "What is so funny Iri?" Cinder asked with a girl.

"I'm just so happy my family has been helpful to you during your stay," Iri said with a smile before she stopped laughing. She then stood up from her chair, "Now, shall we go for lunch?"

"Of course," Cinder said as she stood up as well. In the distance, the two familiar birds disappeared, returning to a single strand of hair.

As they exited the roof garden to the hallways, Iri looked to see Cinder had a slightly irritated expression, "Is something the matter."

"Oh, nothing." Cinder responded, "I was just thinking about some else I am practicing." She said as Iri raised an eyebrow, "I asked your son to help me with learning another of his techniques." She said with a look of concealed frustration in her eyes, "However, my results with that particular training have not been as …noticeable." She then crossed her arms as she walked, "And apparently, the concept of a reality marble is not as restricted as I thought before coming here"

"I'm not that much of an expert on reality marbles," Iri said before giving Cinder a calming smile, "But I know my husband has one, or a variation of that. I can ask him to teach you-"

"No thank you," Cinder interrupted, "I know of his position at the academy, making him a very busy man." She said as Iri looked back at her in slight worry, noticing a fake smile on the black-haired archer's face, "If you could ask for more information about his…variation. Then rely upon it back to me, I would appreciate it. But, let us leave your son out of this conversation."

"Oh, it will be like our little secret from the boys." Iri spoke in joy, "I do love our girl talks Cinder." She said with Cinder grinning, now calmer in her expression.

The two soon reached the main lobby. As the headed for the dining area, the doorbell rang. Walking out to answer it was Archer, who was wearing his apron as he cleaned his hands with a cloth, "Who could that be?" He asked his mother, "Illya and Chole don't get out of class for another hour."

"Oh," Iri said as she remembered something, "It must be the other one of the transfer students, the former one," She said as Archer had a look of confusion on his face as he was half, "You remember her, she was your past teammate."

Suddenly, Archer realized who his mother was talking about as he fully opened the door. Other the other side was a beautiful young woman with black hair, which was tied into two ponytails by black ribbons while a crown-like headdress was behind her head. Over her chest and lower body, she wore a revealing white outfit with golden jewelry She wore a black sleeve over her left arm and a dark blue legging over her right leg. She looked up to Archer with slight shook, matching his expression to her, "R-rin!?"

"Shirou?" She said in response, a slight smile forming on her face, "You sure have ch-"

Interrupting her, Archer closed to the door and turned to Iri, "Mother, why did you not tell me Rin was coming back!?" he asked frantically.

"Shirou, that was rude." Iri restored as she put her hands on her hips, "You never close the door on a lady, especially a friend."

"She and I haven't spoken for years Mother," He responded as he heard knocking again, this time more rapid and forceful, "We didn't exactly leave on the best of terms."

"Shirou," Iri said with a calm smile, "Both of you have matured greatly since then, she is not the same Rin." She said with the knock suddenly stopping. Archer turned his head to look at the door in confusion. Suddenly, an explosion occurred from the other side of the door, sending the silver-haired man flying in the forward. Cinder shielded her eyes form any debris but Iri remained calm as nothing hit her. Archer landed back on the ground, a bit of the door cut through his wardrobe. As he pushed himself up, he noticed the rope for the doorbell on the floor next to him, "See," Iri commented, "The old Rin would have busted that door down right after you closed it."

"My name is not Rin anymore," The beautiful young woman spoke as walked into the mansion, her arms crossed, "I go by Ishtar, and I have for a while now." Ishtar then bowed as she looked over to Iri, "It's is good to see you again Irisviel." She said with Iri bowing in response. As Ishtar looked back up, she noticed the Cinder, "Who are you?"

"My name is Cinder Fall," The black-haired archer responded, "Like you, I am a transfer to this school. I am also Archer's roommate during my stay."

"Archer?" Ishtar said softly as she saw the silver-haired man get up, dusting himself off, "You still rather be called by your class than your name?" She then sighed, "And here I thought you would have changed these past seven years."

"Rin, you know-" Archer was saying, however, he stopped himself as Ishtar called what appeared to be her Noble Phantasm. It was a pair of massive blue steel and gold curved tubes held together by some sort of chain, their positioning resembling that of a bow.

Ishtar put her left hand on her right arm, pointing at Archer, "I told you, my name is Ishtar." She said in a cold voice as a blue light beam formed like an arrow between the curved pillars, "Call me that again, and you will end up worse than that door."

Archer sighed as he glared at her, "Fine Ishtar," he said as she lowered her arms, her noble phantasm fading away, "You, of all people, know why I don't like to be called by that name."

"...True," Ishtar responded, "But, I had thought that you would have changed that part of your personality since then." She then looked over Archer's body as he walked over to the missing door frame, "You changed your appearance so much, I almost didn't recognize you."

"I wish I could say the same about your appearance," Archer said as he called toolbox, matching the new door, and pull the rope from his own reality marble, "Despite your new outfit, you barely look like you have aged a day in over half a dozen years."

"That is because my skills have dramatically increased since last we meet." Ishtar commented back with a grin, "Among hundreds of other mage crafts I have learned, one spell I mastered is one that slows the aging process and degradation of the body and mind."

"That is quite impressive," Cinder said as she approached the group, "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to see if I could learn such a technique."

"No," Ishtar responded, "I came here to learn, not to teach others." She then smirks as she looked over Cinder's body, "Besides, I don't think someone of your appearance can learn quite that high of a level of mage craft."

"Oh," Cinder said with a smile as she glared at Ishtar, "You want to be like that, don't you?" Archer looked over to see the two glaring at each other, Cinder radiating an orangish aura as Ishtar's was a light-blue, While Iri just looked on and smiled. He sighed before resuming to fix the door, "In any case, Archer has just prepared lunch. Would you care to join us? Afterword's, we can discuss other matters at hand."

"That sound's acceptable," Ishtar responded back, "I do hope he at least maintained his cooking abilities."

"He has," Iri said as she walked over to the two, "We'll just save him a plate while he is working."

The three ladies then started to walk towards the dining room area, with Iri leading the way. Cinder glanced over to Ishtar, "Be careful not to eat too quickly," The black-haired archer spoke with a smile, "I wouldn't want you to choke on it." Ishtar laughed as Iri smiled, but he did not get the joke.

Archer sighed again before resuming to fix the door again, "…She's back," he said to himself for the faintest smile appeared on his face.

 _Nora._

In the training area, Cu Chulainn sparred with Nora. His Gae Bolg radiated a reddish aura as it clashed with Nora's plasma blade, creating sparks on each collision.

The blue haired lancer held his spear horizontally as Nora jumped, attempting a vertical downward strike. When the weapons collided, it sounded like a bolt of lightning hitting striking the ground, "For a saber, you sure swing that weapon as if it was some sort of hammer." Cu said as he tried before he pushed Nora back, then reposing himself with the spear.

Once Nora landed back on her feet, she held the Plasma blade in front of her, "What can I say, old habits die hard." She said before rushing him again with a flurry of horizontal swings, but he continued to parry them, "But I just need one good hit to win, right?"

"That's it," Cu said with a confident smile, "If you want to pass, that is."

In the stands, Pyrrha, Mash, and Fran all watched their friend fight. However, the red-haired warrior looked down at her lap, reading from an open textbook. Mash looked over, recognizing the textbook, "You're still reading that?" the female shielder asked, "I thought you finished it yesterday."

"I did," Pyrrha responded, "I'm rereading it for anything I missed." She then adjusted her hair over her right ear. In that motion, Mash noticed the golden mini lance resting like a pencil. She then took off the mini lance and looked at it, "I still can't bend this yet, but I feel like I'm getting closer."

In the midst of the battle, Cu looked over to the red-haired warrior, "Is that one of hers?" he spoke to himself.

"AA!" Fran called out to her roommate.

"Oh yeah, he told me it has that feature," Nora said before the electricity of her plasma blade disappeared. The two pincers like clamps then opened as she rushed forward. Cu then realized he was still in a match, but it was too late. The two pincers locked into the blue lancer's right side of his abdomen. Suddenly, Nora grinned as the pincers shocked her opened electricity flowing through the metal. Cu screamed in pain for a short while until Nora let go of him, "Yay, I won, I won!"

"T-that didn't count," Cu said as his body was still smoking from the static, "I was distracted."

"AAU!" Fran yelled from the stands. Causing Mash to look over to her in slight horror.

"What did she say?" Cu asked Nora.

"Ah…" Nora said as a line of sweat ran done her face, "Even I don't want to repeat that." She then recalled her weapon before crossing her arms, "But come on, I won this fight."

"Fine," Cu reluctantly said before looking over to the red-haired warrior, "Hey, who gave you that lance?"

"Professor Vlad," Pyrrha responded, "But, he said he had some else make it."

"That would have been Scathach." Cu confirmed, "She is another combat professor, like me."

"Another teacher," Nora responded, "We have been here for a week. How have we not met her yet?"

"Because Scathach only teaches those with the divinity skill or divine weapons." He said before showing his Gae Bolg to Nora, "She is the one who gave me my trusty spear." He then used it to point back to Pyrrha, "And she is the one who made that small lance, enchanting it with a Divine rune."

"Can we meet her?" Pyrrha asked as she stood up, "I have been trying to bend this lance for the last few days now. If she could give me some advi-"

"You won't be able to bend that unless you have one of the two things I just mentioned." Cu interrupted, "And unless the church hid something about your registration, you don't have a divinity skill." Pyrrha then had a look of defeat as she then sat back down.

"But what about the weapon," Mash said as she then stood up, "She gave you that spear, couldn't she do the same for Pyrrha?" the female shielder's comments caused Pyrrha looked up at her with a smile, "Or at least, enchant her current ones with a divine rune."

Cu sighed as recalled his spear, "Fine, you can try to convince her." he said before walking away, "But Scathach is not that easy to prove yourself to. Believe me, I know from experience." He said as the rest of the class followed him, with Pyrrha putting the golden lance behind her ear again.

 **AN: There you go, we are see a lot of the fruits of their labors. Ruby can now control Lobo as a mount, allowing her to attain a more controlled super speed. Yang has been training with Martha at the beach, getting a little buffer in the process. Cinder is learning a few new tricks but is struggling with the main reason she came here. And Nora is slowly getting more accustom to her new weapon, while Pyrrha has a lot more knowledge of polarity now. I also bring in Rin/Ishtar to the story, which I enjoyed writing her interaction this chapter. Next chapter will continue with her, Archer, and Cinder meeting the last transfer. As well as Pyrrha meeting someone who might help her with her golden lance problem, (With those, it is the end of the Chaldea staff and student list of primary appearance, the rest will just have mentioned as part of the worldbuilding or a small cameo).** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	42. Chapter 40 - Determination

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has a very intense fight, showing a lot of the cool action moments and references to some of my favorite battles. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 40 – Determination**

 _Pyrrha._

Cu Chulainn leads his class of four students down a hallway inside the academy. Nora looked over to Pyrrha, staring at the lance behind her ear, "Can I see that?" She asked her teammate, with Pyrrha giving the golden lance away, "This thing doesn't look that strong." Nora said as she examined the mini weapon before holding it in both hands, "Let me see if I can-" the orange haired saber said before trying to bend the lance. However, her efforts showed no results. She tried again, holding her breath as she gave it her all. Sadly, all that happened was her face turning slightly red from lack of air.

"It is like he said," Pyrrha said as she glanced back at Nora, "Only a Divine weapon or someone with the divinity skill can bend that." She then turned to Mash.

"What does that even mean, the divinity skill?" Nora asked as she stopped trying to bend the mini lance, "It doesn't sound that special."

"Au," Fran spoke up, causing Nora to turn to her in slight shook.

"Really, it means you're THAT strong!?" Nora responded with Fran nodding, "How many students have it?"

"Well, only a few that I know of. Most of whom are considered the strongest at this academy." Mash said before turning to Pyrrha, "And one of them is Gilgamesh." Upon uttering that name, Pyrrha remembered her first day here. The battle she had that left her utterly defeated. She tried to hide the fact that she was gifting her teeth, but her roommate noticed it, causing a look of regret at mentioning that name.

"Don't forget me," Cu responded in an annoyed voice, "Gae Bolg in a divine weapon." He then looked back to Pyrrha, "Now, if you want to get one from Scathach, you have to show her you have determination."

"Determination?" Pyrrha responded, with the blue-haired lancer nodding.

"Wouldn't it be better if we found a way to give Pyrrha a Divine trait. Then, her semblance could just bend this thing like plastic." Nora pointed out, gesturing with the mini lance, "I mean, what divine weapon's double as bending tools?"

"Uu," Fran responded, "Au."

"Oh, it's a genetic skill." Nora translated, "And it is only found when the first class a person is put in is decided. Then, I can be lost on changing classes. That's a bummer."

"I remember the school tried to sink some money into technology that could pass on Divinity from person to person." Cu said as he crossed his arms, "But thankfully, the headmaster shut down the project for being too inhuman for the subjects."

"Oh," Pyrrha responded, "I think I can manage with a divine weapon," She then turned to Nora, "I have an idea for how I can use it to bend that lance. Once I figure out how to bend gold, that is."

The group then started to notice the hallway getting darker. After just a few more paces, they were showered in a vail of shadows, unable to see. Cu then summoned his spear, holding it in his right hand. The weapon glowed with a red light, illuminating their way as they walked, "Sorry about this." Cu said as he looked ahead for something, "She placed a rune at the end of this hallway, creating a repeating black void, so no students could find her room." He then found a wooden door to his right, putting his left hand on the handle, and opening it. The light from inside the room, revealing a large room with a circular arena floor, matching that of the one the group was sparing in. However, lining the walls were multiple red metal spears, pointing out to the inside of the arena. The light came from a glass ceiling, shining rays onto a person who laid in the center of the room.

It was a woman with long purple hair. She wore a tight black and purple spandex attire, with armor only on her shoulder. As she slowly sat up, her eyes opened, revealing them as red-colored iris matching Yang's. However, this woman's expression was not anger, but rather blasé as she looked at the group, "Hey Master," Cu said with a wave as the rest of the class walked in, prompting him to turn to them, "Class, this is Scathach."

"Setanta," Scathach said in a bored voice as she stood up, "My battlefield is not a destination for your field trips." She then looked around the group of people, trying to spot someone, "Where is the Punch Woman?"

"Setanta?" Nora said as she looked at the blue haired lancer in confusion, who had a line of sweat go down his face, "And did she mean Yang?"

"That is not what I go by anymore Master, and Bazett is on a mission." Cu responded with slight anger in his voice before he cleared his throat, "Regardless, I have a student who wanted to ask something of you." He then moved out of the way as Pyrrha walked forward.

"Hello, Professor Scathach." Pyrrha spoke, "I was wondering-"

"I am no longer a professor at this academy," Scathach interrupted, "I am retired."

"Retired?" Nora said in confusion as she turned to Cu, "How old is she?" She asked, but a line sweat ran down his forehead. He turned to look back at Scathach, who was glaring at him while radiating a black and purple aura from her body. She subtly shook her head as he swallowed his saliva.

"W-what she means is that she doesn't teach normally." Cu said as he turned back to Nora, "Remember, she only teaches those with divinity or a divine weapon."

"That is why I am here," Pyrrha refocused the conversation, "I want to have a divine weapon, one I can use in tandem with my semblance to increase my polarity abilities."

"You can 'want' something until the end of time," the divine instructor responded in a cold voice, "I can only offer you something if you prove to me you 'earned' it." she then expended both of her arms. In each palm formed a Gae Bolg, each radiating a red aura, "Will you prove that to me?" She said with Pyrrha nodding, "Very well." Scathach said before stabbing the ground with her lances. Her stance was the image of symmetry from either half of her body. In one pivot, she turned 180 degrees, but her weapons never left the ground. The arena now sowed a small circle in the center as she walked away, "Move to where I was standing." She ordered, of which Pyrrha walked to the absolute center of the arena. She then looked down to see the diameter of the circle was just over four feet. Scathach stopped, she now stood a few meters away from the red-haired warrior, "If you leave that circle before you prove your worth, you fail. You will then leave here and will not be allowed to retake this test." She then turned around to face Pyrrha, "Those are the only rules, do you understand them?"

Pyrrha looked back up, her gaze focused on the divine instructor, "Yes." She said before adjusting her stance, calling her Milo and Akuno, holding her shield and spear in her hands, "I am ready." In the distance, the rest of Cu's class watched in silence as they are two fighters focused.

Making the first move was Scathach, how dashed towards Pyrrha. The red-haired warrior responded by changing her spear into its rifle form. She quickly aimed and fired three shots at her rushing opponent. However, Scathach sidestepped the first two shots. As the three-shot looked like it was going to hit, she slashed the projectile with her spear. Pyrrha gritted her teeth, but before she could pull the trigger again, the divine instructor was only a foot away from her position.

Scathach's gaze was cold as she swung the lance in her right hand upward, striking Pyrrha's rifle out of her left hand. Pyrrha had a look of panic as she saw the divine instructor reel back the lance in her left hand. Pyrrha glanced back at her rifle still in her air. She reached out her left hand, her palm radiating a black aura. The rifle soon was covered I the same aura, stopping in midair as it reangled itself to aim at Scathach. The trigger then pulled back, firing a fourth shot at Scathach.

However, while Scathach continued the thrust with her left-handed lance. She moved her right-handed lance to block the shot. The round hit against the flat spearhead of the right spear, while the left spear slashed Pyrrha's right side of her abdomen. The red-haired warrior flinched in pain as she gritted her teeth, the black aura fading form the rifle as it fell from the ground. She then tried to bash Scathach with her shield in her other hand, but the divine instructor jumped back, dodging the hit completely. As Scathach readjusted her stance, Pyrrha held her right side to slow the bleeding, "Your weapon landed out of bounds." Scathach spoke to her opponent, "You can no longer use it, calling it with your polarity now will mean you forfeit the match."

"Au!" Fran called out

"Yeah," Nora commented, "You didn't say that was a rule." However, Scathach looked over to the two girls with a cold look. Fran and Nora both growled at the same time but then noticed Pyrrha looking at them, shaking her head as she breathed in slight exhaustion. The two then slowly calmed down as Nora turned to the blue haired lancer, "This teacher is pretty tough."

"You have no idea," Cu responded as his arms were crossed, "And this is her taking it very easy because it's a student." He said before his eyes focused on his old master, noticing her cold expression, "I just hope she doesn't go too far against Pyrrha, she is still new here."

"Why didn't she just move the red lances out of the way." Nora commented, "It's like she didn't even try that. That's was her go to back in Vale."

"She must have assumed Scathach's weapons had divine runes on them." Mash commented.

"And she was right," Cu added on as he looked that lance's in Scathach's hands, "Those aren't too high of a grade divine rune, but they can still cut through what you call aura like it was never there." She then turned back to his student with a slight smile, "Thankfully, those aren't the type that makes unhealable wounds. Just ones that make injuries take a lot longer to heal."

"Yeah," Mash said with a sigh of relief, "I remember a former teacher had those." She then turned to face Cu, "But, he resigned without a reason, didn't he?" She said with Cu nodding. She then looked back to the battlefield, sing that Scathach was readying for another attack, causing a look of worry to return to the female shielder's face.

The divine instructor rushed Pyrrha again, her speed increased from the previous assault. Pyrrha held her shield in defense as Scathach began thrusting her lances. The red-haired warrior managed to block the hits. However, Scathach quickly changed her attack pattern. She began to spin the lances in her hands like a windmill hit by a powerful updraft. The spearheads collided with the shield mere half seconds before the last hit, rapidly denting Pyrrha line of defense. For a moment, Pyrrha was stunned from the bombardment of attacks. In the opportunity, Scathach struck the shield at a different angle, knocking it out of Pyrrha's hand.

Pyrrha watched as if flew in the air. Even though her hand already started to glow black, upon averting her eyes to her shield. Scathach threw the lance in her right hand, impaling the shield, and causing both to fall onto the ground. Pyrrha gasped before quickly turning back to Scathach, "Both of your weapons are out." The divine instructor spoke as she was in the middle of the stance for a leg sweep with the other lance to Pyrrha's right, "And so will you."

Pyrrha thought of jumping to avoid the hit but realized that if she jumped, she would have technically left the circle. For her, the moment seemed to go in slow-motion. As the spear was about to collide with her right heel, she lifted her right leg just enough to avoid it. However, the moment of the lance was still heading for Pyrrha's right foot. Suddenly, her left leg started to glow with her black aura, particularly around the metal in her heels. Her foot slammed back on the ground right before she had to lift her left leg to avoid the lance sweep.

Scathach was left in a short-staggered stance upon missing her strike. At that moment, Pyrrha grabbed the lance with both her hands, glaring at the divine instructor, "I am not leaving without a divine weapon!" Pyrrha declared as she held onto the lance. She then reeled her head back before thrusting it forward, colliding with the bridge of Scathach's nose. The divine instructor fell back a few feet, letting go of her lance. Pyrrha then readjusted her position in the circle, wielding the lance, and then thrust it towards her opponent. However, Scathach jumped back to avoid this attack, landing a few meters away.

"Way to go Pyrrha!" Nora cheered from the sidelines, "You have a weapon while she has nothing." The orange haired saber commented, before looking over to the divine instructor, "Now whose impress-" She was saying until she noticed Scathach's bored expression. Scathach then reached out her right arm, calling another Gae Bolg lookalike lance to her hand, "Oh…" Nora said before looking back to her teammate, "Okay, but she only has one weapon now. You got this!" She then looked back to Scathach, who was now spawning over a dozen lances. each hovered near her body, but all aimed at Pyrrha, "…You still got this." She encouraged before closing her mouth.

Scathach threw the lance in her hand like a javelin at the red-haired warrior. Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she deflected the projectile with her own lance. However, before she could readjust her stance, Scathach had already fired two more lances at her. Pyrrha quickly deflected one, but the other lance slashed against her right thigh. She went into stagger from the pain but quickly refocused back on Scathach. The divine instructed then began walking to her right, but still maintained eye contact with her opponent. She spawned in more lances to replace the ones she had fired. Suddenly, her speed rapidly increased as she glared at Pyrrha, running circles around the red-haired warrior. Scathach appeared like a purple blur to Pyrrha, causing Pyrrha to have a line of sweat to run down her face.

On the sidelines, Mash turned to Cu, "She has a divine weapon now." She commented, "She can deflect those spears now with her polarity, right?"

"No," Cu responded as he watched the match, "That is still my master's weapon, not Pyrrha's. All that is to her in a normal lance made from red steel. Still magnetic, but that won't help her much." He said as his eyes focused on Pyrrha, her breathing heavier than before as blood from her wound still exited her body, "She doesn't have much time before she will pass out from the pain." His last comment caused Mash to look to her roommate with more worry than before.

Suddenly, Pyrrha heard something cut through the air to her right. she looked to see a lance coming at her head. She ducked the projectile, with it managing to only pierce a few strands of red hair. Pyrrha readjusted her stance as she heard another spear incoming from her left. She defected the weapon with her weapon, but soon heard another one from her right. Pyrrha turned to block this one but was too late for a block as she saw it incoming. She tried to move out of the way, while still trying to remain in the circle. The incoming lance missed hitting her directly, but still collided with her right forearm. Before Pyrrha could recover, another lance hit her from behind her position, grazing right above her left shoulder. Pyrrha screamed in pain as blood poured down her arm, but she still tighter her grip on the lance in her hands.

Pyrrha then looked forward, seeing that Scathach had returned to her position before running. None of the spears were around her body, but one remained in her right hand. Pyrrha had a look of confusion as she wondered where the rest of the lances went. Scathach then pointed with her lance to the area above Pyrrha, causing the red-haired warrior to look up with her eyes widening. Supposed in mid-air were over a dozen red lance's, all pointed down at Pyrrha. She then looked back to Scathach, whose emotionless expression left her a look of horror on Pyrrha's face.

"Pyrrha!" Mash shouted, "Jump out of the circle! This isn't worth it if you-"

"No!" Pyrrha shouted back while she looked to the divine instructor, "I will not lose," she said to herself as she gripped the red lance tighter, "Not anymore," In her mind, she imagined herself in a black void, isolated from everything, "Not to anyone!" She thought as she looked up in the black void, seeing Enkidu and Gilgamesh, both looking down on her with a grin with a laugh. Appearing in between them was the image of Alter Jaune, the sinister smile on his face as he laughed. Pyrrha's eyes filled with rage upon their laugher's intensifying.

Suddenly, the red-haired warrior had an idea. Scathach pointed her lance down at Pyrrha, causing all the lances in the air to descend at her opponent. In response, Pyrrha quickly readjusted her grip on her red lance, holding it as if to stab the ground with a downward thrust. She screamed in a battle cry as the lance was covered in a black aura. Once the spearhead collided with the ground, the black aura expanded around her weapon and body, making a spherical barrier the continuously expanded. Scathach overheard lance's collided with the barrier, stopping their momentum almost instantly before pushing them back into the room's ceiling. The lances crashed through the glass ceiling, but the falling shards managed to miss Pyrrha. Scathach looked up at the damage with an emotionless expression as the lances started to disappear in the distance. She then looked back to Pyrrha, who was breathing heavily as she leaned against the red lance still embedded in the ground.

"I don't believe it," Cu said in disbelief, "She forced her polarity semblance through the divine weapon to push back the other lances all at once."

"Au?" Fran asks the teacher.

"Yeah," Nora added on, "You said she couldn't do that?"

"She shouldn't be able to do that!?" Cu turned in to her in response, "That is the equivalent of forcing to the power of noble phantasm when you are not the true owner." He then looked back to Pyrrha in concern, "Where would she learn to do something so reckless and unsafe." Upon his last sentence, Mash remembered their mission to the town. Her mind went back to the image of Alter Jaune forcing Balmung, the damaged nature it left his body. She now looked back at Pyrrha's body, her legs shaking irregularly as she dripped with sweat and blood from her wounds.

"That was a magnetic field." Pyrrha declared to Scathach, "The power of the field is stronger the closer to the source of the magnetic energy." She then had a weak smile as she tried to straighten her position, "I learned that in chapter five of a textbook."

"Do not be so quick to boast," Scathach responded, "You still have not displayed that you are worthy to hold a divine weapon." she said as she extended her right arm, causing Pyrrha to tighten her grip on the red lance, "If you were, you would have noticed the trap I set by now." The divine instructor commented causing Pyrrha to have a look of confusion, she then looked to her spear, seeing a bright red runic symbol appear. The red-haired warrior's eyes widened as she saw the symbol sparking. As Scathach closed her left hand, the lance Pyrrha used as a crutch exploded into a bolt of red lighting. Pyrrha's body remained in the circle, but every part of her was in agony as she was electrocuted. She screamed in pain as the rest of the class shielded their eyes from the light, but Scathach looked on with a cold stare at her opponent's suffering. After a few seconds, the bolt had vanished, as did the red lance start to fade away. Pyrrha's body was partly covered in scorch marks, her arms hung limply to her side. Smoke fumed from her back as small sparks of red electricity appeared infrequently on her body. Scathach watched as Pyrrha began to fall forward, her body seemingly motionless.

However, partway in her fall, Pyrrha stepped with her right foot. While her leg was shaking, she had not yet passed out of the border Scathach had made. Slowly, she readjusted her stance in the center of the circle. Her body still swayed, and her head slightly tilted downward, but she was still in the circle, "Very well," Scathach said before she readjusted her grip on the lance, holding it like a javelin aimed at the red-haired warrior, "If you will not fall forward, you will fall backwards." She declared as her weapon stayed to glow with a red light. As Scathach was about to launch that last lance, she felt someone grab onto it from behind her. she turned to discover Cu had grabbed onto the lance with his right hand, "Setanta." The divine instructor said as she glared at him.

"Master," Cu said as he glared back at her before looking over to Pyrrha, "You are the one who told me it is not becoming of a warrior to fight a defenseless opponent."

"If she still stands in that ring," Scathach responded as he continued to glare at him, "Then she still wishes to continue. Whatever happens to her is because of her own selfish desire for a divine weapon." She said before tightening her grip on her own weapon, "If she thinks to have one will make her unbeatable, she is a fool undeserving of one."

"Scathach!" Cu said louder than before, "Look at her!" he said with Scathach turning back to see Pyrrha. Upon looking at the red-haired warrior's legs, she noticed a black aura around the metal of her leg armor, "She doesn't have the strength to stand up, so she is holding herself up with her semblance. But, that is not the admirable part of her right now," Cu said before Scathach looked to Pyrrha's face. While she didn't notice it before, the divine instructor saw something that left her slightly aghast. Pyrrha's eyes were half open, but they lacked any concentration, "She is completely unconscious, operating on sheer willpower on the thought of not falling out of the ring. She doesn't think the divine weapon will make her unbeatable, she is training to become unbeatable herself." He then turned back to his former teacher with a smile, "Don't you that that is pretty impressive?"

Scathach turned back Cu with a glare, but one that was more of an annoyance than anger. She recalled her lance, having it fade away in both their hands, "When she awakens, tell her I will work on her divine weapon." She said with Cu smiling and the rest of the class jumping with joy upon overhearing the news. "It will take some time, so she should use it to recover from this battle."

Mash then looked over to see the aura around Pyrrha's legs fading. Upon vanishing, Pyrrha fell forwards, her eyes completely closing. However, the female shielder caught her roommate before she landed on the ground, smiling as she held onto her still beating body, "Good job Pyrrha." She said softly to the unconscious red-haired warrior, "You won."

As Nora and Fran walked over to help Mash carry Pyrrha, Scathach retrieved Milo and Akuno, "Inform her that I will be reforging these two into her new weapon. If she wishes for any personal specification, she can relay them back to you for me." She said as she began to walk past the blue-haired lancer, whose smile changed to a smirk with a raised eyebrow. However, Scathach glared back at him before walking away. Cu shrugged before walking the other direction, towards his class heading out the door. Upon exiting, Scathach remained alone in the room again, letting out a slight sigh, "Despite his youth, he is growing up so fast." She said with a small smile forming on her face.

 **AN: There you go, Scathach makes her appearance in the story with her testing Pyrrha's determination. Both fighters showed a lot of skill, but this was intended to be pretty one sided. Pyrrha didn't have to beat Scathach, just show her she is a warrior of notable caliber, (As a side note, when I update the character servant sheets, I will add battle continuation to Pyrrha's list of skills). Even Cu has a good moment with his former teacher, showing her that he is a lot more confident than she knew him as when he was a student. Now, Scathach will be taking Pyrrha's weapons and making a new one for her to use.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	43. Chapter 41 - Moments of Hope

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has a little bit of everything in it: some character moments, a new introduction, foreshadowing a mystery, and a few funny scenes. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 41 – Moments of Hope**

 _Jaune._

In the infirmary of Chaldea Academy, Pyrrha laid unconscious in a bed. Her wounds bandaged and her breathing calm. Sitting across the bed were Mash and Jaune, who was having a conversation with Caren. The medical professor had a bored expression as she looked through items on a clipboard, "Despite fighting Scathach, Pyrrha looks like she will be able to recover within a day." She said before sighing, "Now, I have to go get to lunch." She said before getting up and walking out of the room.

"That's a relief," Jaune said as he smiled towards Mash, "Pyrrha has been pushing herself hard, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, more than I would have thought when I first meet her," Mash asked. "More than back at Beacon?"

"Yeah, she was untouchable there." Jaune said before his smile become slightly uneasy, "To be honest, a lot of people thought she was the one that carried our team though classes and missions."

"I think she is just naturally helpful," Mash responded.

"She even took time to help me with private combat lessons back in Vale." Jaune said as he then looked over to Pyrrha, "But, we haven't done that since coming here because we have been so busy."

"Nora mentioned that about you two before she and Fran had to leave for class." Mash responded, but Jaune looked down at the ground, "What's wrong?"

"I just," Jaune said before sighing, "I wonder if she's thinking the gap between us is too big now."

"I don't think that Pyrrha thinks that is true. Both You and Nora have grown so much since coming here." She said with a cheerful smile, "I mean, Fran mentioned to me that Professor Morality has been impressed with Nora's new skills." She then patted Jaune on his back, "And my Papa mentioned you are a getting a lot better at adjusting to the shielder class."

"Really!" Jaune said with glee, causing Mash to nod. He then glanced over to Pyrrha on the bed before he stood up, "Well, if Pyrrha is training hard. I need to train harder to keep up." He then looked back to Mash, extending his right hand to her, "But, do you think you can lead me a hand along the way."

Mash giggled as she looked up at him, "Of course," She said before asking his hand, allowing him to pull her up.

As he let go of her, they started to walk out of the room. However, as the existed, the saw Karna holding a brown paper bag in his right hand, "Excuse me, is this the room Pyrrha Nikos is in?"

"Why?" Jaune asked, "And who are you?"

"Karna," he responded, "I had met Pyrrha once before and learned she was in the top five of Vale's strongest huntresses." He said as Jaune had a look of confusion on his face at the sudden ranking system. The white-haired lance then held up the brown bag, "I had learned of her fight with Scathach while I was at the town bakery. So, I bought her a loaf of bread as congratulations."

"Ah, that's nice." Jaune responded before moving out of the way, "She is in the room we just walked out of."

"Thank you," Karna responded as he walked into the room.

Mash then turned to Jaune with a look of confusion, "Wasn't that weird?" she asked Jaune.

"Nah, Pyrrha's pretty popular. I always thought she had a lot of fanboy's giving her gifts, but this is the first time I got to meet one." Jaune commented as he walked, "I mean, she has her own cereal brand."

"Really!?" Mash commented before becoming lost in her thoughts, "I wonder if it's any good?"

 _Jeanne._

Doctor Roman and Jeanne walked down the hallway, with the doctor holding a mug of coffee in each hand. He yawned as the female Arc looked to him in slight worry, "Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Yeah, just …tired." Doctor Roman said as he tried to keep a focused gaze on the path ahead, "Da Vinci and I have hit kind of a dead end with the Grimm bacteria research." The two then stopped before a steel door labeled, Private label, Authorized Personnel Only. The doctor then moved the mug in his left hand to his right, so he could reach into his right-side pocket. He pulled out his class card and used it to open the door.

Upon the door opening, he walked in to see Da Vinci. Her head was leaning against a computer pad as she snored. The doctor put one of the mugs in front, freeing his right hand to tap her on the shoulder. Instantly, Da Vinci sprung awake, "I'm good! I'm good! I'm good…I need coffee." Da Vinci said as she quickly looked around the room, discovering the coffee, "O thank you, Romani." She said before taking the coffee with both hands and chugging half of it at once. Once she felt relieved, she then noticed he was not alone, "Hey Jeanne."

"Hello." Jeanne said with an awkward wave, "Um, are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah, just racking our brains a bit," Da Vinci responded casually, "We're doing a lot better than Sherlock. Poor guy hasn't left his room since the meeting and probably won't until he figures out who's behind this whole mess." She then had an idea before turning to Doctor Roman, "He does have a bathroom in there, right?"

"Yes!" Doctor Roman commented back before sitting down at a nearby desk. Jeanne then looked over to the center of the room. She discovered a large cylindrical glass tube full of what appeared to be fifty gallons of the Grimm goop her brother had fallen in before, "Moving on, this is all that remains of the Grimm bacteria that surrounded the nearby forest. Nightingale destroyed the rest without any of it getting on her."

Doctor Roman then took a sip of his coffee with Da Vinci took over, "We did a lot more test on the material but have been in deadlock for a while now. Even at this concentration, it still has a lot to be hidden." She then scratched the top of her head as she talked, "You see, the magic circuit attached to this gunk makes it nearly impossible to learn how it behaves to create alters beyond what we already know."

Doctor Roman then put done his cup before continuing, "It is as if there is a protection spell attached to each microbody in the Grimm slime. Impossible to break individually and mass defusing will just destroy the whole sample size." He then turned back to Jeanne, "We can't tell how it's made. Meaning, we can't trace it back to who could have made it."

"Well," Da Vinci spoke up, causing Doctor Roman to have a look of anger, "We did find out that the barriers protecting the bacteria weaken upon becoming more active. We could study them to find out what we need if-"

"You make a new alter." Jeanne finished with Da Vinci nodding.

"Which we already discussed as not an option." Doctor Roman pointed out, "One of those things already has caused enough damage. We are trying to prevent more from destroying, not make one in this school!"

"Come on Romani, we are stuck here banging our heads against the wall when he has a way to find out what we need." Da Vinci pleaded, "We just make one and keep in locked up here." She then had a slight grin as she reached back for her coffee, "I'll make you a deal. If you stick your hand in that goop to make the alter, I will straight up murder it if it goes mad." She then took a sip of her coffee, "I mean, how strong would alter you really be?"

"Absolutely not!" Doctor Roman responded, thinking about what that statement said about their relationship and he pointed to the container "I am not sticking my hand in that and neither are you." He said with Da Vinci pouting as she crossed her arms. A silence fell between the group as they waited for someone to speak up.

Suddenly, Jeanne spoke up "…Doctor Roman," She said as she turned to him, clenching her fists, "Finding out who made this Grimm bacteria a key part to protecting Apocrypha from more Alters, right?" She asked with him nodding, "Then…use me to create a new alter for your studies."

"What!?" Doctor Roman exclaimed, "That's insane."

"Jeanne," Da Vinci said in a serious voice, "You don't have to do this."

"I know that," Jeanne said as she turned back, "But we can't let these things take any more lives. And, if the alter is of me, then I can take full responsibility for anything that happens."

"You can't put that kind of burden on yourself, it isn't right," Doctor Roman responded, "Remember what happened to your brother, that town will never let him set foot in their again." However, as he spoke, he saw that Jeanne had already considered that possibility. He sighed before continuing, "Just…take some time to really think this over. Once you agree to this, there is no going back."

"Understood," Jeanne said before bowing her head, "Thank you." She then started to walk out of the room before stopping, "Umm, how is Merlin's research in restoring professor Siegfried?"

"He's making progress," Doctor Roman said with a weak smile, "But, it will still be a while until Siegfried is fully back to normal." Jeanne then also had a weak smile before exiting the room. After a few seconds, Doctor Roman turned to Da Vinci, "You know, even if she says yes, the headmaster will not approve of this at all."

"I know, and if he finds out, we are both fired," Da Vinci sighed as she answered. She then turned to the container of the last of the Grimm bacteria, "But, nothing else we tired is working." She then turned back to him with a serious expression, "The longer we wait, the more time our enemies have to prepare for their attack. If it means saving our kingdom, we have to do this." She then turned back to the door Jeanne left through, "She is really mature for her age, always wanting to help save people in whatever way she could."

"Yeah, that's what worries me," Doctor Romani said before looking back to the container of Grimm Bactria, "Just how evil will her alter be?"

 _Cinder._

Ishtar leads the way down the halls Chaldea as Archer and Cinder followed, "So," Archer said breaking the silence, "Your roommate is the other transfer student. The one from Atlas. And the only thing you know about her is that she is a girl."

"Correct," Ishtar responded, her arms crossed as she walked, "I arrived at the room before she did, unpacked my luggage, and set up my side of the room before leaving to go and find you."

"Meaning you never met her, but still set up the room how you wanted it." Archer pointed out before sighing, "You really don't change, do you?"

"She'll understand," Ishtar responded, "I need my space a certain way"

"I can see that you and first impressions are not exactly a good combination." Cinder added on, causing Ishtar to glare over to her, but the black-haired archer remained confident in her remark.

"This coming from the same person who almost stabbed me five minutes into our introduction," Archer commented back to Cinder.

"Semantics," Cinder responded with a shrug as Ishtar stopped before the closed door of a room.

"You see Archer, unlike your roommate," Ishtar said as she pulled out her class card and placed it over the door lock, "I always make a good first impression." The door then opened as she smiled. Upon walking in, she noticed her roommate. However, her eyes widened in horror upon what she saw.

Standing next to the bed on the right side was a girl with long purple straight hair with a red ribbon in it. She wore an open black long jacket over a white top and black skirt. She also had on white gloves, black thy-high, and a red bowtie like her ribbon. She was unpacking from a cardboard box with the Atlas logo on it, but soon noticed Ishtar, "Hi, you must be my roommate." She said with a smile

"Sa…Sa…Sa-" Ishtar said as she shook with fear, her eyes widening before going blank. Suddenly, she fell forward, her face landing on the floor as she appeared to be out cold.

"Oh," The unpacking girl said as Archer and Cinder looked in the room, "She must have been tired from her trip here." Cinder had a look of confusion before turning to Archer, who was hyperventilating as he looked at the unpacking girl, "Uhm, do I know you?"

"Sakura!" Archer said, his voice full of disbelief.

"Sakura?" The unpacking girl said in confusion. She then had a more confident look on her face as she up her right hand on her chest, "No, my name is BB. Nice to meet you."

"No, no, no," Archer said as he shook his head, a line of sweat going down his forehead.

"No?" BB responded as she tilted her head to the left, "Uhm, I'm pretty sure that I know my own name."

Suddenly, Cinder grabbed Archer's right arm, "Will you excuse us." She said before pulling Archer out of the room and sight of BB. Cinder then poked her head out of the doorframe, pointing at Ishtar, "You can just leave her there, I think it suits her well." BB nodded as Cinder looked back to Archer, who was wiping the sweat from her head, "What was that?" She said as she crossed her arms, "You were the one mocking me for poor first impressions. Then, you start calling a random stranger your old teammate name, who is dead!"

"You don't understand!" Archer responded, "She looks exactly like Sakura!"

"What does that matter?" Cinder responded, causing Archer to become somewhat speechless, "Being here just a week, I have noticed a few students who have weirdly similar faces. But, I still can tell the difference."

"Well good for you," Archer responded sarcastically before pointing back towards the room, "But that girl IS Sakura, I am sure of it." He responded before clenching his fist, "All this time, I thought she died in that pit. But, she must have crawled out somehow. Yeah, and then she must have had amnesia from the experience and wondered off to Atlas." He said with a smile forming on his face before looking at Cinder, who had a look of dullness on her face, "What?"

"That is the stupidest thing you have ever said," Cinder bluntly responded, holding up her right index finger, "For one, Altus is hundreds of miles away from this kingdom." She said before extending her right middle finger also, causing Archer to grit his teeth. "For another, if she was suffering from sudden amnesia, there is no way she would have the mental capacity to climb out of the pit of Grimm!?" She then crossed her arms as she looked at him, "I know they never recovered the body, but that is because a Grimm doesn't leave much of a body left to bury." She said as Archer Glared down at her, "Sakura died, that is what happened."

"Then tell me why she looks like her?" Archer coldly responded, causing the two to engage in a stare down for a few seconds.

Cinder sighed before closing her eyes, "Fine, I will tell her your sudden reaction was because of her familiar appearance. We'll see how she reacts." She said before turning around, "You stay here, as you would most likely scare here in your current state." Archer then scoffed before leaning against the wall.

Reentering the room, Cinder steeped over Ishtar to get closer to BB, "Oh, where's your friend?"

"He's cooling off," Cinder casually responded as BB took out a small picture frame from the box, "Sorry, for his reaction to you." She said as BB smiled as she put the frame on her nightstand, "You see, you res-" Suddenly, she noticed the picture frame. In it was a picture of BB laughing with a girl with orange hair and freckles. She wore a lightish green blouse with a pink bow on the back of her head, "Who is that?"

"Oh, that is my BFF from back in Atlas." BB responded, "Her name is Penny Polendina, we were on the same project together."

"Project?" Cinder inquired, causing BB to stop what she was doing with a look of panic filling her face.

"Team!" BB responded, her voice more uneasy as she talked with a convincing smile, "Did I say the project, I meant team. I never said the project, what project, there is no project, I said the team." She then started to giggle before looking at Cinder, "Sorry, I should finish unpacking. I'm not thinking straight."

"I understand," Cinder said as she started to back up, a smile on her face "I'll leave you to that then." She then passed over Ishtar again before waving goodbye, "Enjoy your stay here, BB." As Cinder walked out of the room, she broke her smile and walked towards Archer.

"Well," Archer asked, "What did she say?"

"Change of plans," Cinder responded, "There is something fishy about that girl."

"See!" Archer commented, "I told, it is Sa-"

"No, your theory is still stupid." Cinder interrupt, "But, mine will only make sense if I do some more digging into Sakura's and this BB's past." She said before walking away, "I can tell you won't be focused until you know the truth, making our training for my reality marble problematic." She said before turning back to him with a grin, "So, let us solve this as soon as possible." She said before Archer nodded, following her down the hallway.

 _Yang._

Yang and Martha walked out of the woods to the small sandy beach. the two scanned the area looking for something. The ruler professor noticed an old firepit that was partly washed over, "I see that Drake took a class here also."

"There they are." Yang pointed out, catching Martha's attention. She looked to discover some students relaxing.

Under a large umbrella, Cleo sat on a wooden reclined beach chair while drinking an orange flavored beverage. She wore a black two-piece swimsuit, black sunglass, a straw hat.

Next to her was Edmond, only wearing a pair of dark blue swim trunks as he sat in the sand. His chest still somewhat showed the scar Clarent. "This is a waste of time." He grumbled to himself, "What is the point of this?"

"Just because we train to protect our kingdom from creatures of Grimm," Cleo said as she took a break from sipping her drink, "Doesn't mean we can't take some time to enjoy the one beach Apocrypha has." She then resumed attention to her beverage for a second, "Take a look at those two, they know how to have fun." Cleo said as she pointed out to the water.

In the ocean standing up to her belly was Nitocris, wearing a white, one-piece swimsuit. In her left hand was a small whiteboard with eyes drawn on it, while she used her right hand as a visor from the sun, "You ready?" She called out to Mordred, who was much further out in the ocean.

The prideful knight was laying on her stomach atop a blue and gold surfboard as she wore a red two-piece swimsuit, "Do it!" Mordred called out as she gave the thumbs up. Suddenly, Nitocris smiled as she closed her eyes. Her body glowed with a whitish aura as the tips of her ears touched each other. Mordred then turned around to see a giant white void appear further out in the water. Dropping out of the void was a large stone wall with what looked like an eye at the upper center. Upon collision with the water, a small waved form. Nitocris then raised her right hand towards the stone wall, causing the eye carved in it to shoot out a blast of water. The water collided with the wave, increasing its speed and size of the wave, "Yes!" Mordred said with a smile before she started to paddle. As the wave caught up to her, she started to stand up. The wave began to coil and collapse in on itself as the prideful knight surfed, "Yahooooooo!" She shouted in glee, her right-hand fingers running through the water. Before the waves could fall on her, Mordred shot over the height of the wall of water, gliding a few meters in the air before splashing back on the surface of the ocean. Nitocris clapped her hands as Mordred waved, now noticing Yang.

"Nice moves Mor," Yang called out as she waved as well.

"She has so much potential for the rider class," Martha said with a smile as she crossed her arms, "However, she is so adamant about being part of the saber class."

"Well, she has her reasons," Yang commented to the ruler professor before she cracked her knuckles, "Now, I have a little game to win."

"Oh, a little more confidence today," Martha said before she began to roll her right shoulder, "Perhaps seeing your sister's progression has sparked a fire in you." She said with Yang grinning, "Okay, I will get ready, you prepare yourself."

Yang nodded while Martha walked away to the opposite side of the beach. The blond berserker then walked over to Cleo, who had just finished her beverage, "You know Yang, if you didn't bring a swimsuit during this transfer program, I would be more than happy to go to town with you to buy one."

"Thanks, but I already have one," Yang responded before looking over to Edmond with a grin, "But if I wore it, then I might be a too much of a distraction for some people."

"Do not flatter yourself," Edmond responded as he crossed his arms, "I not so simpleminded as you think."

"Whatever you say, Eddy?" Yang said with a shrug.

"And do not call by such a pathetic title!" the avenger shouted back as his eyes glowed yellow with hatred, "I am the Count of Monte Cristo, The King of the Cavern, The-

"The Vengeance Grimm, I know I know." Yang finished before looking to Cleo, "At this point, do you just tune him out?"

"All the time," Cleo said as she stretched, causing Edmond to grit his teeth.

"Are you ready?" Martha called out. Yang turned to see the ruler professor with her left hand on her hip as she juggled a foot-wide ball in her right hand. She stood behind a makeshift net suspended by two poles for a few meters, the net was around four feet off the ground, "I finished setting up."

"Alright," Yang said as she started to walk to her side of the net. She quickly turned back to Cleo and winked, "Wish me luck." She asked with Cleo giving a toast with her empty glass.

Once Yang made it over to her position, Martha stopped juggling the ball, "You remember the rules, only three rounds in the game," She said before she held the ball gently in her right hand as she made a fist pointing to the ground in the other, "So, the first to score two points wins."

"Easy enough," Yang responded before her eye color changed to red. Martha grinned as she dug her feet into the sand. She then hit the ball with her left fist, launching it to Yang's side. While in midair, Yang focused on the ball as she reeled back her right arm. Once it was close enough, she punched the ball, blasting it to Martha's sides, "And there was no out of bounds, right!" Yang said with a confident smile.

"No out of bounds," Martha said as she ran over to the ball, her eyes fixed on its location. As it was a few feet from the ground, she dived to hit the ball with her right forearm, sending it back over to Yang's side, "So, you have to be ready for anything."

Yang looked at the ball go over her head. Her eyes turned red as she called her gauntlets. She fired downward, launching herself in the air. She soon found herself in front of the ball, raising her right arm back. The blond berserker smiled as she spiked the ball, setting it on fire as it headed for Martha. The ruler professor cupped her right hand over her left fit as she extended her arms. However, upon hitting her body, the ball exploded into an explosion of smoke and flame on Martha. As Yang landed back on the ground, the smoke started to clear. She discovered the ball was reduced to burnt cinders the gently floated in the winds. Martha still stood in the same stance, but her red jacket was partly burnt, "You certainly gave it to you all in that spike." Martha said before coughing once.

"Well, it is still technically on your side." Yang pointed out, "So, that's one point for me." She said while Martha tried to pat the dust off herself, "Uhh...sorry about the ball…and your jacket."

"Oh, don't worry." Martha said as she walked over to a nearby tree into the forest, "I have a couple of spare ones." She said as she grabbed a ball with her left and returned to her side, "As for my jacket," The ruler professor said as she jabbed her left shoulder with her right hand. She slightly sneered as she ripped off the rest of her jacket, revealing a black swimsuit top with a white lining, "It was just holding me back." She said as her gaze focused, letting go of her torn clothes, and having them fly off into the wind.

Edmond looks over in slight confusion, "Does she always wear that under her normal clothes?" He questioned as Cleo shrugged.

Martha then rolled her right shoulder before tossing the ball high into the air. She took a few steps forward before jumping up, smacking the ball with her right hand. The ball speed toward Yang's right side of the net. Yang dove to the ball hitting it with her right forearm before it could hit the ground. Martha saw the ball coming for her side, so she bumped it back to Yang's left side. A line of sweat ran down Yang's face as she had not fully recovered from the first return. Using her right gauntlet, she fired a blast to jettison herself to the ball, hitting it with her left arm. The blond berserker sighed in relief but soon realized the ball was now in the perfect position for her opponent. It hovered a few meters over the center of the net, prompting Martha to jump up and spike the ball to the direct center of Yang's side. The ball collided with the sand, not bouncing, but create a foot-deep crater as it exploded. Martha landed back on her feet and pointed at the hole and remnants of the ball, "By your rule, that is a point for me." She said before walking back to the tree for another ball.

"That means we're even." Yang said as she stood back up, "Next point decided it." She said as Martha rolled the ball over the net, "And it's my serve." Yang said as she caught the ball. She tossed it in the air as she adjusted her stance. Just as it started to fall back towards her, the blond berserker punches it with her right gauntlet blasting it to Martha's side.

Martha jumped in the air to spike the ball back down toward Yang directly. However, Yang quickly punched the ball back towards the midair Martha. In response, Martha punched it back, the force of the hit maintaining herself in the air. The two continued this pattern of volley, the ball exchanging hands in near a half second between the players. At one point, Martha returned to ball back to Yang, but her body began to lean back as she fell. Yang grinned at the opportunity as she adjusted her stance. She turned her fist and uppercuts the ball, adding to the impact with her shotgun gauntlets fiery round. As if like a vertical shooting star, the ball skyrocketed up and over Martha's side. The ruler professor gasped as she looked up at the ball gained altitude. Yang grinned as she looked at Martha fall, "Sorry, but I don't think you jump that high." Yang said as she took a more casual stance, "Better luck next-"

Suddenly, Martha changed her position as she fell, facing the ground. She reeled back her right arm as it started to glow with a white aura. Her eyes focused as clench right fist, "Iron Fist," She declared before punching the ground, creating a plume of sand that covered her side of the net. Yang wobbled in astonishment at the ground shaking. Cleo and Edmond also felt the shockwave, even Nitocris lost her footing and fell over in the water. Yang looked over to Martha's side but was confused as the ruler professor was not there. She then looked up, discovered Martha ascending to catch up to the ball in the clouds. Her right arm still glowed white as she reached the ball, reeling herself back as she aimed down towards Yang, "Holy Judgment!" She declared before punching the ball, the clouds disappearing from the impact. Yang's eyes widened as the ball headed straight for her side. She dived to her right just before the ball her last location, causing a gigantic sand cloud on collision. Cleo and Edmond shielded their eyes from the sand as Martha landed back on her side of the net, "I did it, I won!" She said with glee before she saw the dust settle, seeing the large hole in the sand, "Oh…how could I do such a thing." She said to herself as she did not see Yang anywhere, a look of panic filling her eyes.

Suddenly, Yang popped up out of the water gasping for air, causing Martha to sigh in relief. As she wiped the water from her face, Mordred rode by on her surfboard, "Well, you almost had her." Mordred said with a slight smirk, "Almost."

"Shut up," Yang said with a giggle as she splashed water into Mordred face, causing the prideful knight to lose her balance and fall off into the water. As Mordred resurfaced, she found Yang's holding her side as she was laughing. Mordred gritted her teeth as she splashed water in Yang's face, stopping her laughter. Mordred grinned as Yang responded in kind, "Oh yeah, take this!" She said as she splashed water Mordred, who tried to dodge. Mordred splashed back as the two started to laugh again.

"Uh, are you to okay-" Nitocris said as she walked over to the two. However, both Mordred and Yang combined their splashes, directing then to the canine Faunus' face. Nitocris took the hit head-on, causing her to have a disenchanted look on her face, causing both blond girls to burst into laughter. Suddenly, Nitocris shook the water off her head before holding her small whiteboard back. She then splashed both Mordred and Yang at the same time by hitting the water with her flotation device. All three began to laugh as they continued their water war.

Martha smiled as she crossed her arms and watched the three, "It's moments like these that give me hope," She then glanced over to see Cleo pulling a reluctant Edmond into the water, leading him to the others. The four quickly ganged up on him as they threw water into his face. He quickly turned red with rage as they all began to laugh, causing him to splash back. Martha then closed her eyes as she placed her hands together, "That I may have the strength to protect others so that pure enjoyments like this may still happen."

 **AN: There you go, Jaune opens up a little bit to Mash as Karna returns with bread for Pyrrha's victory. Jeanne now has a tough decision to make for the safety of those she cares about. BB shows up and freaks out Archer, which has him act more irrationally than normal, (That part may seem out of character, but it is more the Shirou part of him doing that in this situation). Discovering what BB is will be a central part for him and Cinder's character, showing something, I am really exciting to write. Finally, we have a beach scene for some fun. It may seem pointless, but it was cool to write and lets me have characters have some enjoyment outside of battle with some summer fun. Since also the summer event is come soon to FGO, I want to know who your favorite summer unit is and/or who you want to have a summer version. For me, it's obviously Ruler Martha and I want them to do something with Medusa (Something goofy like her blindfolded with a stick to break watermelons, making her a saber class).** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	44. Chapter 42 - Awareness

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one shows a lot of character interaction I really liked writing. This one will have me talk about Penny a lot, but I implement more of my own ideas as to what her past is to fit the story I want to tell here. Also, this chapter answers the reason Weiss is afraid of skeletons in this story. Her sequence is really cool, and I think sells pretty well why she has a fear of those, also having some good foreshadowing elements. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 42 – Awareness**

 _Cinder._

At the Einzbern's rooftop garden, mansion Cinder sat at a table as she worked on a laptop. Across from her was Archer glaring at her as the two remained in silence, "…Are you finished?" She asked as he still glared at her, "As I said, it will only make sense once I explain it. But you just had to know right away."

"She is an android…" Archer said as he crossed his arms, "You call my idea stupid, but you say she is an android."

"Who's an android?" a young female voice called from behind Archer. He turned to discover Chloe smirking as she walked over to them, "That's another word for a robot, right."

"More or less." Cinder responded as she typed.

"You should be studying, Chloe." Archer responded, "Why are you here?"

"I was bored," the red mantled girl said as her only reason before she sat next to him, "So, what are you two doing." She then raised an eyebrow as she looked at Archer, "Why you are looking up robots?"

"Well," Archer said before sighing, "You don't need to know."

"Come on," Chole begged, "I can keep a secret."

"No, you can't," Archer said with her pouting.

"Fine." She said before waiting a few seconds in silence, "…Hey Cin, why are you looking up robots?"

"We are trying to discover if a certain person is an android." Cinder answered before hearing Archer clear his throat. She turned to see him glaring back at her more than before, "Her knowing will not hurt our investigation."

Archer girt his teeth before turning to the young girl, "Chole, tell no one this." He affirmed to the red mantled girl, "Understand."

"Yes," Chloe said with a nod, "So, who's the robot?"

"We don't know that she is a robot, I still don't believe it." He said before sighing, struggling to say the next sentence, "But, the new transfer student named BB. I think she's Sakura." He said as he looked down at his hands shaking, "I mean, I know it's insane, but it really feels like her. Not some machine." He then looked back up towards Cinder, "Why do you even think she is an android, how is that even possible?"

"As I said, I need to do some research on both Sakura and BB. In doing so, I found out their connection to each other matches another person I had to look into." She said before turning the laptop around. On it was an image of a young girl with orange hair, "Now, this April Cotton." Cinder then touched the screen, pulling up an image of the girl she saw in the photo, "And this is Penny Polendina." She said as Archer and Chloe were left slightly speechless. The two girls looked near identical, excepted that Penny had on the Pink bow.

"What does this prove?" Archer asked.

"April is dead." Cinder responded, "She died around ten years ago?"

"Ten years!?" he responded in disbelief, "But, they look identical."

"Yeah, and not in a creepy way like a lot of those blond students." Chole responded as she tilted her head, "I mean, I would believe they were the same person." She then straightened her head to look at Cinder, "But, what makes her a robot also?"

Cinder the opened a new window, showing a video of what looked like a stationary atop a high structure. The video showed Penny fighting members of the white fang, defeating them as she swords hovered near her with strings attached to her backpack, "This is a recording of Penny fighting at the docks of Vale. I managed to acquire the footage before Atlas could get rid of it." She said as Archer and Chloe watched Penny fire a green laser cannon form her swords formation, "While it isn't that impressive by this school's standards. But for the other kingdoms, her weapon skills, strength, and abilities are all well above what a normal student would be at her age."

"Maybe she just had a good teacher?" Chloe asked.

"Which is why I looked into her past," Cinder responded, "But, I found nothing."

"Nothing?" Archer reiterated in shock.

"Nothing, no records of any kind." Cinder said with a smirk, "At least, not any that aren't obvious forgeries made by a government wanting to hide something. And the same can be said about this BB girl." She then went back to the computer, showing a camera feed of atlas officers escorting Penny through various locations, "After her fight, Atlas never let Penny go anywhere alone." She said before opening a new window, showing a spreadsheet of a list of names, followed by a two-letter code next to each name, followed by a seemingly openable file. The list was colored red and green over the letters, the contents of which seemed to be a few hundred individuals, "And this is the other file I took from their so-called secure networks."

Archer saw the folder name first, "Project: A.I." he said while he put the pieces together, "Artificial Intelligence."

"Wow," Chole said in an unimpressive voice, "I guess the military doesn't believe in subtlety."

"Indeed," Cinder said with a grin causing Chloe to giggle. They both looked to Archer who was quickly scanning the list of names, "If they are as consistently simple-minded, the red names are failures. While the green names are still showing results." She then scrolled down the list, coming to a familiar name, "As you can see, April is among the green names."

"And the code across from her," Chloe continued, "PP," She said before putting it together, "Ohhhh."

"You know that was not the name I was looking for," Archer responded, casing Cinder to sigh before scrolling down.

"For the record, I did not know this person was on the list before I met you." Cinder confirmed after she stopped scrolling, "I found her only after testing my theory."

Archer's face whitened as he looked at a particular name, "Sakura Matou…" he said before looking to the two-letter code name, "…BB."

"Why they did not give her a proper name, I do not know. Maybe she just liked the way this sounded." Cinder commented, "But, the connections should be obvious to you now."

"I...," He said before he looked at the third column, "What is in that video?"

"I don't know," Cinder commented as she turned the computer around to face her, "The videos, as well as some other files, are locked behind an encryption code. Trying to open them without the code leads to a failsafe that wipes the whole folder." She then crossed her arms, "Atlas thought they were smart, hiding the encryption codes in Vale's communications tower. Doing so without even the other kingdom's knowledge of it no less." She then had a slight smirk, "If we were back in Vale, I could acquire them in a night."

"Well, let's go on a trip." Chloe answer, "I call shotgun."

"We aren't going to Vale," Archer commented, "Even if it took you a night, the travel time there and back would be too noticeable." He said as Chloe pouted, "People here would tell that we were gone, and then they will want to know why."

"Then it is a good thing that I have an associate in Vale who can get those codes for us." She said before pulling out her scroll, "He will take a little longer to get then I, but this is the more …inconspicuous approach."

"I see," Archer said before a silence fell over the group. After a few seconds, he spoke back up, "I should ask how you got and why you have the classified information from Atlas." He said before sighing, "But…what I want most now is to know why Sakura is on that list and what her connection to BB is." He then glanced back to the laptop, "You really can't get into the videos now."

"No," Cinder responded, "All I could tell from it without opening is that it seems to be a rather large video. That's all."

"Okay…" Archer said before standing up, "I will make us some snacks now." He said before walking towards the exit of the roof garden. However, he stopped right before the door, "Also, do not tell Ish…Rin about this."

"Understood," Cinder responded as she and Chloe watched as him a nod before leaving, "He seems to want to put his mind on other things at the moment." The black-haired archer said before she looked to Chole, who had a cat-like smile as she looked back, "What is it?"

"You seemed to be bragging a little bit about yourself back there," Chloe responded as she raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to impress Shirou with your spy abilities?"

"Spy abilities?" Cinder said with a slight giggle, "I was simply entertaining myself. You see, I don't often get to talk about my work too often."

"Your work?" Chloe questioned as Cinder dialed on her scroll, "What work would have you need to know all of …this?"

"That is enough questions for now," Cinder said as she placed the scroll near her ear. After a few seconds, she resumed talking, "Hello Roman, I need you to do something for me." She said with Chloe having a look of confusion.

 _Weiss._

Weiss made her way to the courtyard of Chaldea Academy. She quickly noticed Semiramis sitting at a table, drinking a cup of tea. The depraved beauty waved as she saw the heiress, "Hello Weiss," Semiramis said as Weiss walked over, "Did you read through the files I sent you?"

"I did," Weiss said as she sat down, her voice somewhat tired, "But, I don't think it helped as much as we thought."

Semiramis put her right hand to her chin in pondering, "Perhaps your fear of skeletons is deeper routed in your psyche than I thought."

"I still don't get why that is the reason I cannot summon," Weiss responded in an enraged voice.

"If you have arachnophobia, do you dream of spiders?" a male voice called spoke, causing the two ladies to turn and discover Shakespeare, his right arms holding onto a book, "The answer is yes, but only if it is a nightmare."

"What do you want?" Semiramis responded in a cold voice, "Don't you have a class to put to sleep with one of your stories?"

"I merely wish to help you with your struggling student," Shakespeare said as he walked over to the table, "As it seems your advice has been ineffective." He said with Semiramis gaze growing more vindictive, causing him to look to Weiss with a smile, "Miss Schnee, do you happen to know what my Noble Phantasm's type is?"

"I do not," Weiss responded.

"It is an Anti-Heart Noble Phantasm," Shakespeare said before putting his left hand on his chest, "When the Curtain Rises, the Applause Shall Be as Ten Thousand Thunders." He declared but was met with the Wiess looking to him in confusion. He cleared his throat before continuing, "I bring out the tragedy in one's life, showing them their greatest trauma, reliving it even." He then grinned as he looked down at her, "I can use it to help you understand why you fear the deadly bones."

"Really?" Weiss responded with Shakespeare nodding.

"Wiess," Semiramis interjected, "What he failed to mention is that his Noble Phantasm can leave a person mentally broken." She said with Weiss turning to Shakespeare in slight resentment.

"Only if I create no scapegoats for mage craft." Shakespeare responded with a smirk, "Rest assured, I will not use its full power on a student. just to show you a memory."

"…Okay." Weiss spoke up.

"What!?" Semiramis inquired with slight anger.

"No disrespect to you, Professor Semiramis. I still wish to continue my lessons under you," Weiss defended, "But, I wish to know why I am afraid of …that." She then turned back to Shakespeare with a cold stare, "You, I don't know what I will see. But, as soon as I say I have seen enough, that means you stop."

"Understood Miss Schnee," Shakespeare said before looking over to the depraved beauty, "You two certainly share the same tone." He said before taking a step back, "Let the play begin." He said as his eyes narrowed, pages of his book flying out. Wiess watched as the pages hoovered over her, enclosing her in a cylindrical prison. She watched their speed increase but soon felt her eyes tired from the stress. Upon rubbing them for a second, she reopened them to discover she was not where she once was.

Weiss was standing in the middle of a crowd of people, all bunched together. She tried to move past one of the people, but as her hand touched their shoulder, it pasted right through. As she recovered her balance, she then realized the person did not acknowledge her at all, "You are not real to them." A familiar voice called to her, causing Weiss to walk towards the voice, "This is all a just a stage." She heard as she made it out of the crowd, finding Shakespeare grinning as he looked at her, "A play of the day you were scared of bones for the rest of your life."

"What is this?" Weiss said in a slightly angered tone, "Where are we?"

"Oh, I have told you the what and you need only look round for the where," He said as Weiss started to look around. They seemed to be on some sort of dirt ground with multiple sets of tracks. The tracks lead to what looked like a few entrances into some caves of a mountain. She then saw a cart filled with a type of red stone on.

"This is a dust mine." Weiss answered her own earlier question, she then looked back to the crowd of people, "But why are they-" She said until stopping herself. Upon closer inspection, she discovered the crowd of people was facing they're on stage. On it, a podium with multiple microphones pointed to the speaker. However, Wiess eyes widen as she knew who the speaker was. It was a man in his early forties with a white suit with light blue lining. His short hair and mustache were a shade of white that matched the heiress', "That is my father!" She said declared before squinting, "But, why does he look younger?"

"I guess I can answer the when," Shakespeare said as he looked at his book, "This is around twelve years ago." She said before pointing to the man in the white suit, "If I remember the story, your father was defending the allegation of taking advantage Faunus to speed up production of the mining operations." He said as Weiss clenched her fists, "Articles said he cut corners on safety because certain Faunus didn't need such things in the caves."

"He never treated them like workers," Weiss said to herself, "Just tools to make him more money by mining dust." She then looked to see her father's mouth moving, but no sound came out, "Why can't we hear him?"

"This is your dream, your memory." Shakespeare responded, "If you did not hear him talk, you could not remember it." the playwright then had a slight grin, "I could make him talk, but that is removing one of the scapegoats that are preserving your sanity." He then began to look around the area, "I suggest we find you now."

"What?" Weiss asked. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head. The heiress placed her right hand on her forehead as the sound of an explosion rang through her skull but was not heard by the playwright. She then looked to her left, seeing a white limo under the shade of a few trees. Weiss ran towards it as Shakespeare followed.

Upon arriving at the limo, she saw the drive in a black uniform, his head resting on the wheel. Weiss then looked to a nearby tree, discovering a little girl in a white dress. Her long hair was straight as she played with a toy knight. As Shakespeare caught up, he had a small grin, "Well, isn't that precious." He said as Weiss focused on the girl, "Though, I would not have guessed that be a toy a girl like you would play with."

"My sister gave it to me," Wiess responded in a calm voice, "She told me that a knight was a symbol of honor and respect among many people, serving a queen as her royal upholder of justice. And that I was that knight's queen." Weiss then had a slight smile, "It was my favorite gift at that age." She then saw the little girl look at the knight in confusion, followed by slight panic, "I remember, there was a toy sword with him as well. But, I lost it while playing here." She then looked back to the limo, "The driver was so tired after taking my father and me around, he was hoping to get a few minutes of sleep." Weiss then turned back to see her younger self standing up, walking past the trees, "Where was I going?" She said before another sudden pain came over her. this time, she felt a foul taste in her mouth, as if she had eaten a handful of sawdust. This time Weiss turned back to Shakespeare, "What is happening to me?"

"You are remembering what traumatized you," He responded, "No matter how much protection from my Noble Phantasm's full effect I give, that pain will always reoccur." He spoke before Weiss ran after younger self, but Shakespeare had a somewhat focused expression as he walked after her, "Will you endure it, or let it take over you." He said to himself.

Upon catching up, Weiss found her younger self looking into a small cave entrance with a pair of cart tracks leading in, "No, I couldn't have lost it there." Weiss said before she was her younger self slowly walk into the cave, "What!? Why am I going in there?"

"It appears you were a curious child," Shakespeare commented. Suddenly, Weiss felt another shock of pain. In her head, she was the image of a black skull with its mouth a gap. She began to hyperventilate as the image left her mind, "Miss Schnee?"

"No, she can't see it," Weiss said before she ran into the cave after her younger self. As she moved further in, the darkness was rendering her vision mute. Just as she was about to create a source of light. She noticed her younger self created a small mini glyph, forming an ice cube in her right palm, as her left palm gripped the toy knight. The ice radiated a small amount of blue light as the young Schnee used it to look around.

However, her toy knight still slipped out of her hand while she walked. Upon her younger self looked down and picking it, Weiss ran over to cover the little girl's eyes. But her hands just phased through the child's body, causing a look of dread to fill her eyes. As the young Weiss was about to pick up her toy, she became frozen in fear. Illumined by her ice cube, there was the skeleton hand reaching out. As both Weiss' eyes followed the hand, she discovered the upper body of the skeleton. The lower body was buried in the rubble of some sort of red stones, a mine cart appeared to be toppled over its right leg.

Weiss began to back up as Shakespeare walked in on the scene, "Judging by the shapes of its head and teeth. I would say that is not a human, but a Faunus, a bat Faunus to be more precise." He said as he looked to Weiss with a somewhat unusual emotionless expression, "Someone who would not need lights installed in the caves but would not be able to tell what type of dust crystals they were collecting." He said before looking at the mine cart, "Those were fire dust crystals, a type that would have required more care in moving than it appears he was given."

"The cart broke," Weiss responded as she stood up, her eyes dropped in remorse, "It must have fallen on his leg while the dust and rocks fell on him, igniting from the sudden force." She said as she looked at the skeleton's head, its mouth open as it looked towards the cave entrance in the far distance, "He burned alive while calling out for help. The dust turned his flesh to cinders while coating his bones in a thin layer of dust remnants." She said as she looked at tightening her fists again.

This time, Shakespeare took more notice of it, "If you so wish, I can stop my Noble Phantasm's effect." He said as he looked as if he was about to close his book, "What will you do?" Weiss said nothing as she watched her younger self, "...Very well." He said he left his book open.

Weiss watched as her younger self slowly started to reach for the skeleton's hand. As she touched its index finger, it broke apart into a pile ash. The young Schnee soon started to back up, moving away from the Skeleton, causing a lot of joy for a second on her older self's face.

But, it was only for a second. As Weiss saw her younger self noticed something atop the pile of pile of rocks, a red dust gem. The gem was more refined than the other stones, becoming the only thing in her line of vision. The young Schnee felt memorized by it as she reached up. Even standing on her tiptoes, her fingernails only scratched the stone. However, with a small hop, she gripped the gem, yanking to out of the stone.

"Stupid kid," Weiss muttered to herself as her younger self marveled at the gem. Soon, she heard a crackling sound coming from the pile of rocks. The young Schnee looked back to the pile, seeing a burning red color seeped out of the stones over the skeleton's body before the bones began to glow with the same cinders. While she backed up in fear, her mouth was open and trembled.

Suddenly, the pile of rocks exploded with a slight burst of fire. The effects were not catastrophic, as the young Schnee was away from any rock shrapnel. However, the skeleton was blasted into ashes that splattered over Weiss' younger self, causing her to scream in terror. But the cinders had entered her mouth and made their way to her lungs. She coughed in agony, dropping the ice cube that was her source of light. It broke on the ground, creating only shadows. She cried and screamed for a few seconds, then over a minute, then only silence fell over the area, "Your memory is over." Shakespeare spokes in a serious tone, "But, can you recall what happened after?"

"I passed out right then, waking up in a gurney." Weiss spoke back up as she looked at were her past self was, "The diver was altered by the explosion and my screaming. He rushed to get me out of the cave and drove me to the nearest hospital." A look of anger then filled her eyes as she continued, "After he finished his press conference, my father visited me and fired the driver. He told me that it was all just a bad dream and that I should forget it ever happened." Weiss then looked back to the ground. Even though it was still dark, she made out the image of her knight toy. However, the explosion had burned the toy, leaving its left side charred and warped, "But it wasn't a dream." She then took a deep breath before turning back to Shakespeare, "We're done here." She said him nodding, then closing the book.

Weiss opened her eyes, discovering herself back in her set next to Semiramis as Shakespeare stood next to the two, "Well," Semiramis spoke, "Did you find out the root of your fear?"

"I did…" Weiss said before sighing again, "But, all it really gave me was another reason to hate my father." She said while the two professors remained silent, "If it is okay with you, I would like to postpone our training for today." She said before getting up, "I need to get some coffee."

"Oh, that's fine." Semiramis added as she stood up, "I think I could benefit from a cup of that as well." She said with Weiss have a slight smile.

"You two enjoy yourselves," Shakespeare said as he walked away, "My work here is done." The three then left the courtyard, leaving the place vacant.

Or so it seemed. Once the coast was clear, Nobu popped her head out of a bush. She had a mischievous smile as she chuckled, "So, the Ice Queen is scare of skeletons." She said as she adjusted the position of her hat, "I can work with that."

 **AN: There you go, I do love Cinder's personality here, being a lot more confident in herself rather than always planning something. And you see who I made Penny as in this story, the name April Cotton was just one I thought of for this story as a two-word-name for the color apricot. If you played Fate/Extra, you might already know what the videos are, so please don't spoil it if you figure it out. Also, you see what happened to Weiss in the past to make her scared of skeletons which I feel is a legitimate event to cause that phobia. And of course, Semiramis hates Shakespeare here, but they both still want the best for Weiss. I know Shakespeare NP is not exactly what he does, but even he says he limited it to not have Weiss go mad. Finally, we see Bad Nobu hatching up a scheme for her inevitable rematch with her Ice Queen.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	45. Chapter 43 - Choices

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is kind of a short one but deals with a few heavy things. It also alludes to a future big ark to the story, so I hope you all enjoy that. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 43 – Choices**

 _Glynda._

The sun had to set on the day in Apocrypha. Cu Chulainn walked by the staff lounge room, his casual attire back on. He glanced in, only to discovered Glynda on her tablet, "Hey, what are you doing here?" He said as he sat across from her, "Most people are turning in for the day."

"I am correcting a report before I send it to Ozpin," She answered before adjusting her glasses, "He wished for me to submit weekly progress updates as per my agreeance to supervise this transfer program."

"Kind of late to turn one in don't you think?" the blue-haired lancer asked.

"Actually, the time zone difference from here to Vale makes this the best time to turn one in." Glynda responded, "In Vale, they still have a few hours of daylight left."

"I see," Cu said as he leaned back in his chair, "So, how has your first week here been? You and your students?"

Glynda put the tablet down before answering, "Speaking as their supervisor, I am worried so many of my students have been sent to the infirmary as a result of these combat classes." She said with a cold stare before sighing, reducing her stressful gaze, "But, I am glad that none of them are leaving with permanent injuries. I do commend this school for its medical advancements."

"Thanks," Cu said as he had a line of sweat come down his face, "I guess that means she hasn't met Nightingale yet." He thought before she looked at him in confusion. He spoke up, "Despite those trips to the infirmary, your students have shown a lot of progress."

Glynda had a slight smile as responded, "Adaptability is something I have noticed Teams RWBY and JNPR excel in. Each member can adjust to a dire situation very quickly, that was noted when they took the entrance exam to get into Beacon."

"I can't disagree," Cu said with a slight chuckle, "If they keep up like this, they might make it into The Grand Order."

"The Grand Order?" Glynda inquired.

"Oh, I guess no one has told you about it yet," Cu responded as he learned, "The Grand Order is our academy's prestige's annual event. Putting our students against one another in a true test of skills." He then had a slight giggle as he continued, "I guess you could say it's our version of the other Kingdoms Vytal Festival Tournament since the Church forbids any of our students to travel to the other kingdoms to participate. However, our set up is a little different."

"How so?" Glynda responded.

"Well," Cu responded, "While your kingdoms have a bracketed tournament, we have a sort of battle royal." He then extended eight fingers, four in each hand, "You see, battles consist of eight students, one member per team's participating in that battle. Seven of the fighters are represented by the seven primary class students are put in. While the eighth is a member of the extra class added to keep things interesting." He then lowered his hands as he continued, "We usually have two or three Grand Orders at this time but may institute one more thanks to this transfer."

"I see," Glynda commented, "Where are these battles held?"

"They change it every year," Cu responded with a grin, "Like you mentioned, adaptability can be a key feature to survival."

"And how do these students participate," Glynda asked, "By the way you described it, not all can enter into this event."

"Correct," the blue-haired lancer responded, "As a student, they must be accepted by a professor or staff member who has recognized the individual's talent. Or, if you have already won a Grand Order before, you can re-enter to fight again." He then placed his hands behind his head, "Winning earns you some extra privileges at this school, a title that recognizes the accomplishment of passing this trial, and a wish."

"A wish!?" Glynda exclaimed.

"Well, not that kind of wish. It's just what some of the students like to call it." Cu corrected himself, "The winner gets to enact a new law in the school. Allowing them to change or get whatever they want so long as the headmaster approves it. Not even the church can deny the request. Also, the person who recommended the student gets a 'wish' also."

"I see," Glynda responded, "Did you ever participate in this Grand Order?"

"I did… one time before I became a teacher," Cu responded before sighing, his smile fading as he broke eye contact, "But, I was in the same round as that gold bastard." He said under his breath before looking back to Glynda with a smile, "Regardless, even if you are just a temporary teacher here, you will still get to recommend a student for Grand Order." He said with his arms crossed, "Who do you think you will pick: Ruby, Pyrrha, Nora, or-"

"I will not pick one of my students." Glynda cut him off, "In coming here, it should be their goal to leave an impression on the professors here. Me recommending them when I am not acting as their teacher now would be irresponsible." She then had a slight smile, "The student I would recommend would be one of the classes I am teaching here. However, that depends on if she continues her progress."

"Well, they have a little over a month until it starts." Cu said as he stood beginning to walk out of the room. At the exit, he turned back to see Glynda retyping on her tablet, "Uh, I thought you finished your report?"

"I think I will add our recent topic to my report," Glynda responded as she focused on typing.

"Oh...Okay, goodnight" Cu said as he looked at her type, but he could not tell if she was still listening. After an awkward couple of seconds, he left the staff room with his hands in his pockets, "Man, does she ever take time for herself?" he thought to himself as he walked through the halls.

 _Iskandar._

In a pub in the town near the Academy, Iskandar, Drake, Li, and Taiga all chugged a large mug of beer at the same time. While Drake wore her normal outfit, the King of Conquerors wore a more casual attire. He wore a white shirt and jeans. Li wore a sleeveless black hoody with black pants. Taiga wore a teal jacket over a yellow shirt with black strips and jeans cut off just over the knees. Collectively, they finished over their beverages and slammed the mugs on the counter, each sighing in unison.

"Ahhhh, how I love drinking my fill after a successful teaching mission," Iskandar said as his cheeks were slightly red, his eyes partly open, "It is a good thing I did not ask the Young Rose to see me for more training tomorrow." He said before a slight giggle.

"Yeah," Taiga said as had the same redness on her face, "I'm not looking forward to the morning," She then shrugged, "Aw well," She then smiled and waved to the bartender, "I'll have another."

"Kakakaka," Li laughed as his face was also red, "I see, you cannot get a hangover if you are constantly drunk." He then looked to the bartender also, "One more for me!" he said as the bartender slide two newly filled mugs over to the dojo professors.

"You two are idiots," Drake commented as her face was also red, "I know from experience that type of plan doesn't work."

Iskandar then started to giggle before recalling something, "That reminds me, how did your training with the other young rider go?" he said as he looked over to the female pioneer.

"Oh, you mean Neo," Drake said before laughing as she smacked him on the back, "You drank too much, I'm not teaching here." She said while he looked confused, "She wanted to be trained by Medb." She said as she signaled the bartender for another mug, "Apparently, Neo took one of her classes and decided that she wanted to learn from her. What she can learn from her, I don't know." the bartender then slid the mug across the counter, of which Drake caught it in her right hand, "It's a shame, the little girl impressed me on our last adventure with her confidence." She then chugged it all at once.

"Medb, taking on a student?" Iskandar commented, "I never thought I would see the day." he then had a slight chuckle as he looked at his empty mug, "Let alone a female student."

"She's just doing it so that to impress Cu, since everyone else seems to be training one of these new students" Taiga responded as she sipped her new drink, "They're even getting some of our current students to try harder." She then drank the last of her mug.

"Indeed," Li added on, "While the one called Ren has only slightly above average skills. His presence in our dojo has certainly motivated Kiyohime in her training." He then chugged his beer before looking to noticing Taiga laughing, "What is so funny?"

"I'm just happy," female dojo teacher responded, "The point is the little dragon girl is finally improving her skills after what happened to her old boyfriend." She then looked over to the King of Conquerors, "And Finally, how did your training with Ruby go?"

Iskandar then crossed his arms as he grinned, "She is a natural Rider with an impressive mount. Her energy and attitude remind me of when I was that age." Suddenly, his smile soon faded as he looked up, "However, I do feel something is still troubling the girl. Until she can overcome that, there is a good chance this path does not end well for her." a moment of silence fell between the group before stretched out his arms, putting both Taiga and Drake in a headlock as he grinned, "But, I am confident in helping her overcome anything. That is my promise as a professor at our academy."

"Kakakaka," Li said as he laughed seeing both ladies slight suffocating under his arms, "Let us have another round to close out the day."

"Agreed," Iskandar said as he let go of the two, allowing them to breath, "Bartender, one more for everyone on my tab." He said as the bartender prepared four more mugs of beer. All mugs slid to them at once, with each teacher catching one at the same time before chugging them in unison. Iskandar sighed in relief as he finished his drink. However, he glanced two seats over to his left. It was an empty seat, one that made his expression change to slight worry before he turned to his beer.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang sat at the meeting room, a lit cigarette in his mouth. He took it out to exhale smoke while he glared at the holograms the table produced. Each hologram was a topic he knew too well from the last meeting. He then sighed before putting the cigarette back in his mouth.

 _Edmond._

Edmond walked the exterior pathways of Chaldea with a look of annoyance on his face. He was back in his normal suit, his hands in his pockets, "What a waste of time?" he said as to himself as he walked, "That is the last time I will let that woman drag me to the beach." As he walked, he passed by the church but noticed the door was open. The Avenger shrugged before continuing to walk away. However, he heard a faint noise coming from inside the church. He then walked towards the door and peered inside.

Kneeling in front of the altar was Jeanne, her head bowed as her hands cupped one another. She muttered some type of prayer as her eyes were closed. Suddenly, she heard the church door creaking. The female Arc then opened her eyes and looked behind her, seeing Emond in the doorway, "Oh Count." She said as she stood up, "What are you doing here?"

"I was returning from a trip." He said as he sighed, "Then, I noticed the door open at this hour."

"Well, the church is always open." Jeanne said with an uneasy laugh, before noticing the vail of nightfall peaked through the doorway, "Is it really that late?" She then noticed Edmond looking at her with a piercing gaze, "What is it?"

"Saint of the Flag," The Avenger commented, "What were you asking forgiveness for?"

"What? I didn't-" Jeanne responded as she took a step back.

"If you do not wish to say it out loud, I understand." Emond said as he closed his eye and turned around, "But, it is often better to talk about these things with a person who can speak back to you." He said before walking out of the doorway.

As he got a few steps away, the voice inside the church called out to him, "Count!" Jeanne said as she placed her right hand over her heart, causing him to stop. She then paused for a second before speaking back up, "I wasn't asking forgiveness for a sin. Rather, advise on something that could result in a sin." Edmond then turned around, looking through the doorway into the church seeing Jeanne's eyes halfway open as she looked at the floor, "I can't tell you everything, but it's hurting me that I can't tell anyone about this."

"Not even your foolish brother?" He said, but Jeanne remained quiet as she looked at the floor, her eyes twitching. He sighed before walking back to the doorway and into the church, "What is it you are contemplating." He said as he walked closer to her.

"I…" Jeanne said as she clenched her right hand, "…I have the choice to do something that will either save a lot of people," She said as he was right in front of her, "Or, that choice can result in me hurting a lot of people in a way I could never forgive myself for doing." She then brushed her left hands across her eyes, wiping something away, "At the moment, I thought I knew the answer. But now, I'm worried what it is I will be making." She then had a slight giggle as she looked up, but her eyes still filled with worry, "This is all pretty confusing, right?" she said, but Edmond had a nonchalant look on his face, "What I'm asking is, what would you do?"

Emond closed his eyes as responded, "Saint of the Flag, if you feel you are doing the right thing, then you will know it is the right thing when you are doing it. If you feel you are doing the wrong thing, then you will know it is the wrong thing when you are doing it as well." He said with Jeanne having a look of confusion, "What matters is not the choice, but the follow-through of the decision." He said as he opened his eyes, "Whether or not you choose to live a lie, a life of regret, a life of redemption, or a life full of hatred over what you did. That is the more important choice." Jeanne then lowered her right arms as she looked up to Edmond, "Standing at the crossroads you are at right now is like standing in a prison cell. All you can do then is wait, and hope. Only until you make your choice will you truly be free, walking whatever path you decide to follow." He then turned around as he adjusted his hat, "That is my answer to your question, Saint of the Flag. Take with that what you will."

Before he could leave the church, Jeanne called out to him, "Count!" Jeanne spoke, causing him to pause, "C-could you sit with me for a little bit." She asked as he turned around, "I guess have been here by myself for a few hours now. And…I just don't want to be alone right now."

Emond sighed as he closed his eyes.

 _Hours later._

The sun began to rise as morning swept over Apocrypha, Amakusa Shirou walked over to see the church door open. He peered in through the opening, a few of the black keys in his left hand. Slowly, he opened the door further and walked in, noticing two people sitting in the front right pew. He walked over to discover Edmond and Jeanne asleep. The avenger's arms were crossed, while the female Arc's head rested on his right shoulder. Amakusa had a slight smile as he withdrew his black-keys. However, he then pulled out his scroll and took a picture of the two sleeping students, "I will just send this to your brother." Amakusa said as he smiled with his eyes closed, looking over to Jeanne, "So that he knows you're safe." He said as he blindly presses the send button. As he put his scroll away, he began walking back to the church doorway. He shut the doors with the sound of a young man screaming being heard from the student dormitories.

 **AN: There you go, Amakusa has learned the art of the troll from Kirei, (who I will have come back, but not quite yet as the mission is far away). Glynda now knows about The Grand Order. It functions like a grail war, but I don't call it a 'grail war' for the context of this story. That is also why there is a heavy emphasis on student/mentor relationships here. The battles a still a while away, but a coming up closer than I planned. We learn Neo is being trained Medb, Iskandar just misunderstood Medusa a few chapters ago. And while Ren is doing okay, Kiyohime is getting stronger to protect him. I also get to show a different side of Jeanne, showing her deal with the situation she has put herself in. And Edmond displays his cool nature after coming back from the beach, (If it was revealed sooner, I could have gotten his beachwear accurate).** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	46. Chapter 44 - Joy of Accomplishment

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. To celebrate this story hitting 300 followers, I wanted to post this chapter extra early. Thank you all again for the support on this story and for checking it out. This one is a big one, as it shows how far some characters have come in this story in a great way. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 44 – Joy of Accomplishment**

 _Jaune._

"I don't approve," Jaune said bluntly to his sister with his arms crossed. They sat in the cafeteria across from one another, with Blake sitting next to the female Arc and Yang next to the male Arc.

"For the last time," Jeanne said as she rubbed her face with her right hand, "Nothing happened. We just talked, and I fell asleep."

"You fell asleep with your head on his shoulder!" Jaune responded in shock, "That's like…fifth base!"

"…I don't think you get how that works." Yang commented.

"What's your problem with this guy anyway?" Blake added on.

"He's trouble, I've heard the rumors." Jaune responded before looking to Jeanne, "Nice guys don't go to prison and get tortured." He said with Jeanne glaring at her, causing him to look to Yang, "I'm just trying to look out for my sister. You would do the same for Ruby, right?"

"Of course," Yang said with a grin, "I had to last week." She said, reminding Jaune of what happened to the svelte paladin, "But, I know the guy you are talking about. I don't think you have to worry. And besides, what they did, that's nothing."

"Jaune, I am two years older than you." Jeanne spoke to her brother, "I appreciate the sentiment, but stay out of things you don't understand." She said as she got up and walked away from the two

"Oh, I understand," Jaune quietly said back, "Girls always love the bad boys." He then turned to the cat Faunus, "Isn't that right Blake?"

"What, no!" Blake said in a shocked voice, "And why did you look at me when you said that."

"Well," Yang commented with a grin, "There's Sun, and then Achilles I'm hearing is a handful. Anyone else I'm forgetting, someone you haven't mentioned to us?"

For a moment, Blake's mind went to the image of a man with red hear and black outfit, "No…" She said in a serious voice before sighing, "Achilles isn't like that, and Sun is… just mischievous, not a bad boy."

"That reminds me," Yang said as she had a look of confusion, "When's the last time you two chatted?"

"I haven't been able to get ahold of him in the last few days," Blake responded as she crossed her arms, "I don't know what's going on, but I have a bad feeling he might do something reckless."

"Yeah well, that's Sun." Yang said as she leaned back and put her hands behind her head, "Don't worry though, I got your back if anything happens." She said with a wink, but Blake had a look of confusion. The blond berserker then turned back to Jaune, "As for you, let your older sister do her own thing. She was pretty mad at you when she left."

"Give her some space," Blake recommended with Jaune sighing before he reluctantly nodded.

"There you go," Yang said as she smacked him on the back, a giggle in her voice, "Now, why don't you follow your sisters lead and fall in love with someone." She said with him scowling at her, "Kidding, I'm kidding." Yang responded, giving Blake flashbacks of someone else with that gimmick, "But seriously, you really should find someone. It might help you take your mind off things. Just…ask someone out in a normal way. And by normal, I mean basically the opposite way you tried to get my Ice Queen teammate back in Vale to notice you."

"…I don't know, but I'll try your advice." Jaune said before he got up from his seat, "I got to get to class now." The two waved their goodbyes as he left.

 _Pyrrha._

Recovered from her battle, Pyrrha walked alongside Mash down the hall, "Are you sure you're feeling better?" Mash inquired, "That was a pretty intense battle you had."

"I'm okay," Pyrrha said with a smile, "I spent enough time resting in bed, I don't want to miss any classes." She then looked for something in her pockets, "I didn't even have any time to practice…!" She was saying until she realized the item she was searching for was not in her pocket, "Oh no…" Pyrrha said as she stopped, patting her body to look for something, "Nononono." She said before she placed her hands over her ears, "No, I lost it…"

"Lost what?" Mash commented before she realized the movie, "Your training lance!" She said with panic filling Pyrrha eyes as she breathed rapidly, "Clam down, we just need to retrace your steps."

"I-I…" She said before taking a deep breath and exhaling, "I didn't have it in my infirmary room and I didn't have it on me when I fought Professor Scathach." She then looked down at her empty right hand and focused, "The last time I remember it in my hands was-" Suddenly she remembered who had the mini-lance, "Was when I gave it to Nora."

"Then we're good," Mash said with a smile, "She must be holding it for you. And Nora's not the type to lose things." She said with Pyrrha looking back at her with a slight worry of returning to her face, "Is she?"

"We need to find her," Pyrrha said as she started running, "I think she is getting out of class right now." She classed out as Mash tried to run after her.

Across the academy, Nora and Fran walked out of Moriarty's class. They each held a white pieced of paper with a letter grade on it, "Wow, this math stuff isn't as complicated as I thought." The orange haired saber said with a grin.

"Au," Fran said as with a smile.

"I know," Nora agreed, "B minus isn't half bad." The two then looked over to see Pyrrha running towards them. The red-haired warrior stopped as she was in front of the two, "Hey, you are feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Pyrrha said as she quickly caught her breath, "Listen, Nora, do you have my golden small lance with divinity?"

"Oh that," Nora said with her reaching into her back pocket, pulling out the mini-lance, "Never left my possession." She said as Pyrrha had a smile come upon her face, "I knew how much it meant to you, I even looked up a few ways to bend it."

"Really!?" Pyrrha asked, "Did anything work?"

"Nope, this thing is tough." Nora responded as she looked at the lance in her right hand, "But I did learn this," She said as she repositioned the lance in her right hand, pinching it between her index finger and thumb, and pointing her palm towards her teammate. She then began to rapidly move her hand up and down. "If I do this, it looks like it's made of rubber or something." She giggled as she saw the lance wobble, "Cool huh," Nora said as she looked back to Pyrrha, but was shocked as she was fixated on the lance with a look of sudden enlightenment, "Pyrrha?"

"That's it." Pyrrha softly said as she smiled, turning to her teammate, "Nora, you're a genius!"

"Uh, thanks." Nora responded, "But why though?"

"I can't talk, I need to practice before I get my weapon back," Pyrrha said as she took the lance out of her teammate's hand. She then turned around and started running, "Thank you again, Nora, you to Fran!" She called back as she ran passed Mash. The female shielder stopped as she was out of breath but soon turned around as she tried to catch up again.

"No problem!" Nora called as she waved, "Go show that lance who's boss."

"Uu!" Fran added on.

A week later.

Outside the academy, Glynda and Vlad watched as Elizabeth and Ruby sparred. The two student's weapons classed against one another as the professors grinned. "I wish to thank you for aiding me today." Vlad spoke to Glynda, "My normal co-teacher decided to take a sudden vacation. A bit unlike him, but I can't deny he needed the rest from his work."

"It's fine, I was hoping to obverses my student's progress. As well as train a few members of my current class." Glynda said before she turned to her right seeing, Tamamo running in fear of Lobo chasing after her, trying to chomp at her tail, "It seems some are fairing better than others."

"Ruby!" Tamamo shouted as she ran, "I spend a half hour each morning brushing my tail to get the right about of fluff." She said as she heard a bit come near her much closer than before, "If your dog lays one tooth on a single hair, I swear I will-"

Suddenly, Lobo's eyes glowed with a blue light as his mouth burned with a matching color fire. He jumped over Tamano, standing in front of her, causing her to stop. The massive grey-wolf then had a long dark blue metal pole formed horizontally in his mouth. At the right end was a hook-like blade that seemed to curve twice. Tamamo began to back up as Lobo flared his fangs. In the distance, Ruby looked over at her mount, "Lobo, you finally called out the Violet Gibbous I made you!" She said with a smile, "I'm so proud of you."

"N-nice doggy." Tamamo said as she back up, but had a scowling expression, "Hey, if you cut any part me with whatever type of weapon that is." She said as she tightened her fists, "You are going to incur my full wrath." She then looked to Lobo growling at her as a line of sweat running down her face. In an instant, she turned around and ran away faster than before. Lobo howled before he continued his chase after her.

"Play nice you two," Ruby called out as she waved. Elizabeth waved also but had a mischievous look on her face as she watched her teammate flee.

Vlad and Glynda grinned as they looked at their class. However, the blond lancer heard a voice call to him, "I did it!" the voice called as the two professors turned around. They looked over to see Pyrrha running at them with a look of joy, "I bent it!"

"Oh," Vlad said in intrigue as Pyrrha stood in front of the two, "You learned how to bend the lance I gave you."

"I did, I did," Pyrrha said as she caught her breath. She then reached behind her right ear to show the lance.

However, both professors looked in confusion as the mini lance looked perfectly straight, "Pyrrha," Glynda said as she adjusted her glasses, "It does not look bent to me."

"I bent it back after I knew I could make the circle." Pyrrha said as she looked at it with a smile before turning to Vlad, "And I know I can do it again."

"Then prove it," Vlad said as he crossed his arms, "Prove to me that you are more than when I first met you."

Pyrrha did a single nod before extending her left arm with an open palm. She closed her eyes and focused. Suddenly, her black aura gathered in her hand, straightening into a seven-foot pole. As she clenched her left hand, the aura condenses into a spear. The general shape of the spear matched that of the one the blue-haired lancer used, but her weapon had a spearhead on each end. The body of the spear was made of an orangish brown metal, with a different gem in the fullers of the spearheads on opposite sides. One end had a red gem that's color matched Gae Bolg, while the others were blue gems of a different metal. Each gem had a runic symbol engraved on them that radiated a matching aura.

In a flurry of rose petals, Ruby appeared next to the professors, her eyes in awe of the weapon, "Wow!" She said in amazement, "When did you get that?" She asked as Elizabeth walked over.

"Professor Scathach gave it to me yesterday. She melted down my old weapons and used them to form this." Pyrrha said as she held the dual-headed spear, "She said this one is called Gae Akuno, and it's a divine weapon." She said with Vlad grinning as Ruby eyes gleamed. Pyrrha then pointed to the red gems, "Professor Scathach told me that this is made out a similar material to all of her spears." She then pointed to the blue gems on the other end, "And these are actually made of cobalt, which I read are very magnetic and can help me control my power." She then looked back to Ruby, "Each has a divine rune, an even stronger rune than to one on this mini lance." Pyrrha said as she held the golden lance to Ruby.

"I understand your joy, Pyrrha Nikos," Vlad commented, "But, are you stalling, or are you simply building anticipation?"

"I just need you to take a step back and watch," Pyrrha asked the group as they complied. After a moment of silence, Pyrrha closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then exhaled. She then looked her right hand, while at the same time tightening her left around her Gae Akuno, which she now held vertically with the red gem pointing to them. Suddenly, a black aura began to pulsate from the dual-headed spear, covering a couple of feet in a radius around the red-haired warrior. As the black aura became more concentrated, the red gem glowed a brighter color. Vlad and the other then turned to Pyrrha's right hand, seeing the mini-lance covered in the black aura. However, this seemed different from the other times they had witnessed her attempt this type of thing. The black aura did cover the mini-lance, but it radiated around Pyrrha like a black mist.

Slowly, the mini-lance floated out of her hand and hovered a foot and a half from Pyrrha's face horizontally. While her eyes remained closed, she focused and squinted, causing the red gem to fade in brightness as the blue gem became more illuminate. The two gems slowly began to alternate one dimming while the other brightened, the rate of change increasing rapidly. Upon the gems switching colors, the mini lance began to bend, curing evenly. In just a few seconds, Pyrrha began to sweat with the black aura fading. Before she took a breath, she extended her right hand out to catch the mini-lance falling. She then opened her eyes to see the golden divine lance in a perfect circle with a diameter of a few inches. She smiled as in over joy as she looked up at Vlad, who had a satisfied smile on his face.

"Wow," Ruby said as she looked at the circular lance, "Who did you do that?"

"Indeed," Glynda added on, "Even with that being a divine weapon, that should be impossible to do with your semblance."

"It took me a while to figure it out." Pyrrha said as she caught her breath, "But, my semblance isn't as specific as I thought. You see, I used to think my semblance was just to move things that were magnetic." She said while she looked down at the circular lance, smiling, "Then, I realized something. It didn't really hit me until my fight with Professor Scathach, but If my semblance is polarity, then my own aura can act as a magnetic field."

"A magnetic field?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Yes," Pyrrha responded, "It's the force a magnet generates naturally upon having two opposite poles." She said before looking to her Gae Akuno, "With my Noble Phantasm, I can channel my aura through it, giving the field the divinity to effect divine weapons."

"But how did you bend to the gold aspect of the lance," Glynda asked, "Even with the magnetic field, you can't bend what is not magnetic."

"She did not need to," Vlad answered the professor from Beacon before looking back to Pyrrha, "You didn't focus on bending the gold, rather getting the force needed to bend the gold, or whatever you so desire to bend." He said with her nodding.

"How did you do that?" Ruby asked.

"Easy, I switched the poles." Pyrrha said with Ruby and Elizabeth tilting their heads in confusion, "A magnetic field's strength increases as its poles are switched. The force that creates resonates all over the object in the fields reach, and if I switch the poles back, the opposite effect happens with the same result. Each switch causes the object to receive a type of push or pull no matter what it is made out of since it is my aura I am using as the magnetic force. That constant vibration can weaken anything and use that to control the way it bends." She then blushed as she looked at the circular lance, "And it was thanks to Nora that I got this idea first place."

"That's so cool!" Ruby commented.

"It is impressive," Glynda added on. Pyrrha smiled at both of them, but she looked to Vlad for his response.

"Congratulation, Pyrrha Nikos." Vlad said to Pyrrha as he patted her on the right shoulder, "You have passed my lesson." He then crossed his arms as his smile turned to a grin, "But if you think your training is over, there is still more for us to cover. We will now focus on advancing this power of yours to the next level. What I ask you now is, are you willing to continue to learn from me?"

"I am," Pyrrha responded with a look of determination as she nodded.

"HELP!" The group turned around to see Tamamo in tears as she ran from Lobo, "I can't run that much longer, some please tell this thing to yield!"

"I advised her to have on better footwear," Glynda commented, "Though, her ability to run in those type of sandals is commendable."

"Lobo stop!" Ruby said, but the comment fell on deaf ears, "Uh oh."

"We should intervene before that beast carves into your student."

"Agreed," Glynda said before she and he began walking towards them.

"Professor Tepes," Pyrrha called out, causing him to turn back to her. he looked down to see her trying to hand him the circular lance back.

"That is yours now, Pyrrha Nikos." Vlad said with a smile, "It is a symbol of your accomplishments, do with it as you will." He then turned back around and returned his attention to the fleeing student.

Pyrrha looked back at the circular lance and smiled. She then took it in her left hand and put it around her right wrist, like a bangle, "That looks good on you." Elizabeth commented as Ruby nodded, causing Pyrrha to blush, "So, can you help us make sure my teammate does turn into dog food." The idol faunus asked, with Pyrrha nodding, "Great, you don't have to try that hard though." Elizabeth whispered with a sinister smiler, causing Pyrrha to have a look of confusion. The three ran out to join the others to save Tamamo from Lobo.

 _Mash._

Back by the academy, Mash watched the group on their rescue with a smile, focusing on Pyrrha. Suddenly, a voice called to her from behind, "Everything okay?" she turned to see it was Jaune walking up to her.

"Yeah," Mash said as he stood beside her, both looking out to the field, "Pyrrha was just showed off what she has been staying up all night practicing."

"Wow, that's good for her," Jaune said as Mash started walking back into the academy. As she was a few steps past him, his face turned slightly red, "H-hey Mash," He called out to her in a nervous voice, causing her to stop and turn to him in confusion, "I've been thinking about this for a while. And I was wondering if you're not busy to-"

"You wanted to continue training?" Mash assumed, "I could see if my papa isn't busy."

"N-no," He said as he scratched the back of his head with his right hand, "I was wondering if you and I could …I don't know…go into town and get something to eat…together."

"Oh, l-like a date?" Mash said as her face also started to turn red. Both their faces turned redder as he nodded, "Ah…sure." She said as she had a slight smile, "That sounds nice."

"Really," Jaune inquired before he smiled, "Great, I'll call you later when I'm out of class." He then waved as he walked back into the academy entrance, "I'll see you later."

"Okay," Mash said as she waved to him. Even after he left her sight, the female shielder still smiled looking into the distance.

 **AN: There you go, Pyrrha now has beaten the mini-lance. It may not be 100% scientifically accurate, but I do like the explanation I came up with for evolving her powers. The simplistic way to explain it is she uses her aura to act like a magnetic field that she can manipulate to effect items within that field. Rather than relying on magnetism, she is explaining on the forces magnetism can create and its unique properties. Couple other little things this chapter like that Ruby made Lobo's weapon in his final ascension art. And Jaune asks out Mash, something that I have been building at for a long time in this story. The next couple of chapters go into a mini arc, giving some character the spot let with a few short guest appearances from familiar faces.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	47. Chapter 45 - On a Break

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has a few good character moments I liked writing, showing off a lot of personality with them. We also get a few surprise cameos in this chapter, as well as a set up to a slight change in scenery for a bit. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 45 – On a Break**

 _Emerald._

In the market district of the town near the academy, Atalanta and Emerald walked with Jack, who carried Nursery Rhyme in her book form. The green-haired assassin had on a slightly different outfit, wearing a short green halter top and green jean pants. The lioness faunas wore a casual light green jacket with a white undershirt. She had a black skirt and had a red purse on her left shoulder. Jack hummed as she smiled, "You seem to be having fun, Jack." Atalanta said as she looked down at her.

"We are," Jack responded, "We don't get to go clothes shopping that often." She then adjusted her grip on the book, "But, Rhyme is tired from all this walking around."

"You really did need some more clothes," Emerald said as she looked at Jack's combat attire, "This way, you don't have to wear something so... revealing."

Jack smiled as she looked back to Emerald, "Next time we go shopping, can we invite Ruby?" She asked, "We want to know where she got her pretty pink dress."

"Sure," Emerald responded with a smile before turned back. There, she saw Mercury following them. In each hand were four shopping bags as a green purse hung from his left shoulder, "It just means more for him to carry next time."

"Remind me again why I am the one holding all of this." Mercury said in a bitter voice, "Even your dumb purse."

"What was it you once told me, 'you're a guy' was it." Emerald said with a smug grin, "Well, do the guy thing and hold our bags." She said with him gritting his teeth, "And don't drop my purse." She then looked to her right, seeing a jewelry vendor.

"I can take some of the bags, Mercury." Atalanta offered, "You have already carried them so far."

"It's fine," Mercury said with a sigh. Suddenly, he heard a ringing sound coming from Emerald's purse, "Hey, your scrolls going off." He said to the green-haired assassin.

"Then answer it for me," Emerald said as she looked through the jewelry. Mercury scowled as he put down the bag, so he could reach into her purse. He pulled out her scroll and looked at the caller i.d. Suddenly he grinned before putting the scroll to his ear, "Well.." Emerald commented from afar, "Who is it?"

"It's Robin." Mercury said, causing Emerald to turn towards him, "You want me to hang up on him?"

"No, you idiot." Emerald said as she quickly got over to her teammate, "Give me that!" She said as she took the scroll out of his hand. She then had a smile on her face as she answered, her voice slightly cheerful, yet slightly nervous. "Hey Robin, it's so good to talk to you. I was just thinking ab-" Suddenly, she heard the other end of the line speak up, instantly recognizing the voice as not the orange haired archer. Emerald then turned to Mercury, who grinned as he looked at her. While her right hand tightened over the scroll, her left formed a fist as she reeled it back. She then punched Mercury in the gut as Atalanta and Jack looked in confusion. While Mercury recoiled in pain, Emerald leaned in as she whispered, "This is Roman, not Robin, you prick."

"What is with you and punching?" Mercury winced before he recovered, "In my defense, the names are very similar." He said with Emerald reeling back for another punch but stopped herself as she noticed civilians looking at them, "Look, just finish the call quickly before we make more of a scene." Emerald lowered her arm and grunted as the grey-haired assassin said as he gave her the purse back, "Catch up with us after you're done." He said before picked up the bags and walking towards Atalanta and Jack.

"Is everything okay?" Atalanta asked.

"Yeah, just a joke among friends." Mercury said with a chuckle, "Anyway, we need to think of what to have for dinner tonight."

"Oh, can we have hamburger steak!?" Jack eagerly spoke up, "I know we had it a couple of days ago, but we really liked it."

"Sure kid," Mercury responded, "You can help me pick out the meat." He said with Jack leading the way down to the market district. Mercury then looked over to Atalanta, who smiled at him, "What, the kid knows a good cut of beef when she sees one." He said with a shrug, "…It's actually a like bit unsettling when I think about it." he said under his breath. Atalanta then giggled as the two followed Jack down the road.

Emerald looked at the scroll and sighed before putting it back to her ear, "What do you want, Roman."

At the other end of the line, Roman Torchwick sat in a wooden chair in the middle of an empty warehouse. To his right was a table with a cigar on an ashtray and a bottle of whiskey next to a shot-glass. On the nearby wall as a map of the kingdom of vale with crude drawings and phrases on it, "No need to take that attitude with me, Green." He said as he rubbed his eyes with his right hand, "I have been working overtime to get our boss the encryption codes she wanted." He then moved his right hand to the bottle of whiskey to pour it into the glass, "I already called her to open up the channel to Apocrypha for me to send the codes discreetly, but she didn't answer my call." He then took the shot-glass and drank it all in one go, "She's usually really prompt with that sort of thing."

"She's in a class right now." Emerald responded, "She doesn't take calls then."

"Oh, so she is really taking this 'school girl act' seriously then." Roman said with a grin, "Tell me, does she wear a cute uniform? Like the ones with the tiny miniskirts."

"You disgust me," Emerald responded.

"Whatever Green," Roman restored back, "Just tell the boss to keep the channel open late at night. All I need to get is the flash drive full of the codes from a guy, then I can send then no problem."

"Fine, just don't screw up again," Emerald said before she hung up her scroll. She then put her scroll back in her purse and walked back down the road. She then looked back to the jewelry vendor she saw before, noticing an emerald gem broach in the center. While her eyes lit up upon seeing it, they soon faded as she noticed a price tag that far exceeded her expenses. Suddenly, she recalled how she dealt with this situation in the past, allowing her to take whatever she wanted at no cost. Her mind went through the times she did it without thinking, but now, she felt a pit in her stomach at the thought of what she considered.

"You liked the one in the center," Emerald then looked up to see the vendor. She was a lady in her late seventies wearing a purple robe, "I can't blame you, it would look so pretty on you."

"Thanks," Emerald responded, "But, I can't afford it."

"You can take it," the jewelry vendor said with Emerald looking at her in disbelief, "You're a student at Chaldea, aren't you?"

"Uh, not officially," Emerald said in a nervous voice, "I'll one of the new transfer students for the program." She then looked down at the broach, "So, I can't accept this gift." She then looked up at the vendor, who looked at her with a smile.

"You're such a kind soul to an old lady like me," The vendor said with Emerald having a look of confusion more than before, "Most people do not take time to appreciate all that the heroic spirits sacrifice to protect our small kingdom. You may just be visiting to learn, but I am thankful that you are willing to protect this land and its people in your training." The vendor then reached down and picked up the emerald broach, "So please, take this as a token of my appreciation." She said as she offered it to her.

Emerald was speechless for a second, not knowing what to do or say. After a few seconds, she reached out her hand and accepted the gift, "Thank you very much." She said as she slightly bowed. The old vendor did the same with a smile on her face, then waved goodbye as Emerald walked away. The green-haired assassin looked down at the broach as she walked. Suddenly, a teardrop fell on the center of emerald as she tightened her grip around it.

 _Yang._

It was late in the afternoon as the sun began to set over the land. Outside the west entrance to the academy, Mordred and Nobu stood together. The prideful knight looked at a stopwatch, while the Grimm Archer played a game on her scroll. While Mordred wore her casual clothes, Nobu had on a red jacket with white sleeves, a white skirt with grey strips, and sandals. The two then looked to her right to see a yellow motorcycle turning the corner and heading for her. At the driver seat was Gilgamesh, with Yang sitting behind him. The motorcycle screeched as the King of Heroes turned it and began to drift on the dirt ground. He sided to a stop in front of Mordred, kicking up dust. Mordred stopped the time on her stopwatch as Nobu coughed, "Yep, that's faster than before."

"What else would you expect from the King of Heroes?" Gilgamesh said with a grin while he and Yang got off his motorcycle.

"Your Gilgil Machine is pretty fast," Yang said with a grin before she looked back to the motorcycle, "But I bet I can make her go faster if I'm behind the thyroidal," She said as she then turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. Her comment caused Gilgamesh to tilt his head as he smirked.

"I thought you were making your own bike," Nobu responded as she put her scroll away.

"I didn't feel like starting from scratch, so I made a whole lot of attachment for my current bike." Yang said as looked to Nobu, "I'll just take them with me when I head back to Vale since I don't have anyone to bring my Bumblebee here." She then smirked as turned back to Gil, "Besides, it's one of my treasures, so she is always one of a kind to me." She said with Gilgamesh laughing with joy.

"Agreed," Gilgamesh said as he snapped his fingers, causing his motorcycle to vanish in a yellow aura, "We can call it a day now." He then began to walk towards the others as they began to re-enter the academy.

However, Yang heard a hissing sound coming from her right, "Pssst," She heard coming from a nearby bush. Upon stopping, she looked over to see the bush shake slightly.

As she about to approach it, Nobu noticed the bush shaking, "Must be a snake." The Grimm archer said as she called one of her rifles in her right hand, "I got it." She said as she closed one eye and took aim, firing a red laser blast.

Yang's amazement, someone jumped out of the bush, someone familiar to the blond berserker. It was the monkey Faunus, screaming as the tip of his tail was black and smoking, "Sun!?" She said as Mordred and Gilgamesh walked back, a look of confusion on both their faces, "What are you doing?"

"I was trying to get your attention just now," Sun said as he blew on the tip of his tail, "But I didn't think this girl was going to shot me!" He said with Nobu shrugging.

Gilgamesh turned to Yang is confusion, "You know this Mongrel."

"Mongrel?" Sun took as a disrespect, "I'm a monkey Faunus, not a canine one. Get it right!"

His comment caused Gilgamesh to scowl as he raised his right hand, about to snap his fingers. However, Yang used her hands to lower his, "It's okay, he's a friend of mine." She said with him turning his anger at her, "Just let me talk to him, okay?" She said her eye iris turning red for a second.

Gilgamesh sighed before he lowed her arm, crossing both as he looked to her, "Go on then." He said with Yang smiling, giving him a small wink as her eyes changed to normal.

Yang then turned back to Sun, "Now, what I meant is what are you doing here?" She asked as Sun let go of his tail.

"I wanted to talk to Blake, you know, surprise her." Sun said with a smile, "I was going to sign up for this transfer thingy, but they closed the program already." He then crossed his arms as he talked, "So, I hoped on a one way-flights, snuck in with some luggage, and here I am." He then turned to look at the wall of the academy, "The last thing was trying to find a way into this place, but between those rock monsters and this wall, I couldn't get in." he then turned back to Yang, "So, can you help me sneak in to see her?"

"No!" Yang said with the smile fading from his face, "Look Sun, it's nice what you're trying. But this will just freak Blake out and ruin your relationship with her. If it was any other girl, this wouldn't make her think you were…"

"A stalker," Mordred commented.

"A Mongrel," Gilgamesh added on.

"A jealous boyfriend who's going to get dumped the minute she sees you," Nobu added on as she disenchanted her rifle.

"I am not jealous!" Sun responded, "I am not, what do I have to be jealous of. Some pretty boy with green hair, he's probably not that strong."

"Does he mean Achilles?" Mordred inquired as she looked at Yang, "I know I saw him hanging around with your black-haired teammate a lot recently."

"Ohhh," Yang said as she realized something, turning back to Sun, "You must have seen him in Blake's last video chat."

"So, what if I did," Sun commented, "…You think I could take him?"

"Not a chance," Mordred responded, "That guy not only has divinity, but his variation means he is immunity to all damage unless done by a divine weapon or someone else with the divinity skill."

"…could not get half of what you said." Sun responded, "What does all of that mean?"

"He's invincible," Nobu spoke up, "You're screwed."

"Look Sun," Yang said in a calm voice, "Blake is not the type to cheat on her boyfriend, I know her, I can tell." She said with a smile, causing Sun to look away in slight unease, "What?"

"Well," Sun said as he screeched the back of his head, "We really didn't ever define our relationship." He said with Yang's expression turning to slight anger now, "I mean, I like her, and I think she likes me. So, I thought it was just implied that we wouldn't see other people." He said with a silence filling the area, "What?"

"Welp, I'm changing my answer to a stalker," Nobu commented.

"Sun," Yang spoke up, "If you two aren't dating, then Blake is doing nothing wrong. She is having fun on this break, most of us are. You could have come here to be with her, but you decided to stay back." She then pointed at him with her right index finger, "You are in the wrong for insinuating something like that and coming here was an even bigger mistake than I first thought."

"I didn't think she would meet someone here, who does that on an exchange trip," Sun said, causing Yang's eyes to turn red.

"Out of curiosity," Gilgamesh said with a sinister smile, "If you had met some other girl Vale while Blake was still here, would you tell her?"

"…Which girl?" He said with Gilgamesh smirking as Nobu and Mordred glaring at the monkey Faunus, "Uh Yang, could you tell your friends to calm-" he then noticed Yang's hair was glowing as her eyes were fully red with rage.

"You better turn around right now, go back to Vale," Yang said before she tightened her fists, "or else."

"Look, Yang, I know you're strong," Yang said as he smiled, reaching behind his back for his weapons, "But I think I can take you o-" before he could react, Yang reeled back her right arm and delivered a powerful gut punch into the monkey Faunus' abs. A shockwave of pain fell through his body as his aura shattered, but he remained standing in place. Sun's mouth remained a gap as he could not finish his sentence, his eyes wide open and trembling.

"You are really lucky Blake still likes you and I said I would have her back." Yang said to Sun as he gawked in agony, "Otherwise, I would have aimed lower." She said before retracting her right arm. A couple of seconds later, Sun's fell forward and face first into the ground.

Nobu walked over to look at the Monkey Faunus, kicking his right shoulder too, "Is he dead?" she asked as she looked to Yang, Suddenly, she ahead a grown of pain come from the unconscious monkey Faunus, "Neverminded."

"The problem now is, what do we do with him?" Mordred asked as Yang roll her right arm.

"He said how he got here," Yang responded as she finished her stretch, "So, we'll just drop him on the next airship back to Vale in a suitcase. Easy as that."

"Except all airships are closed during this time of day." Mordred pointed out as she looked down on Sun, "And as much I hate this guy right now, we can't leave him alone or hide him when he is out of it like this. People would find out and we would be in deep trouble."

"It would seem our only option is to take him to Vale ourselves," Gilgamesh commented with a grin.

"Vales too far away for us to drive there and back without anyone noticing." Yang pointed out, but Gilgamesh laughed. The king of Heroes then raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a giant yellow vortex appeared behind him, the rivaling that of the academy entrance. As the Vortex pulled back, it revealed a large golden airship with what looked like jade wings. The airship looked to have no cockpit with its spearhead like shape, but rather an exposed platform with a throne draped with a red cloth in the center.

Yang and the other looked in shook as Gilgamesh crossed his arms, "This is Vimana, my throne as the King of Heroes." He said he turned to look at the airship, "With it, we can travel Vale and back in a matter of hours."

"That's amazing!" Yang commented before she looked back to the King of Heroes, "You've been holding out on us." She said with a grin.

"How long are we talking here?" Nobu asked Gilgamesh, "Because I need at least a few hours of sleep after going to this little mission." She said with Yang looking back her in confusion, "What, I want to go to Vale." She said with a grin, "I hear they have a bookstore I can get the newest issue of my comic book there. I'm serious, it would take like two years for it to get over to the stores here."

"If we left now, we would be able to get back with your few hours to spare." Gilgamesh commented, "That is assuming we spend no more than two hours in Vale."

"That's plenty of time." Yang said as she knelt to pick up Sun's unconscious body, "Let's head off to Vale!" She declared as she passed by the prideful knight, "Come on Mor, let's go."

"Why do I need to go?" Mordred commented as Yang tossed Sun onto the Vimana.

"Because I know someone who might have information on a certain someone you are looking for," Yang said with Mordred listening, "I mean, he wasn't able to help me, but we can always try."

"Okay," Mordred said with an eager smile, "Now we're talking." She then jumped onto the Vimana with Yang following her.

As Nobu got on she heard a metal thud coming from underneath the airship. As she stood, she shrugged, "That one must have been a snake." She thought to herself before she spoke up, noticing something odd, "Hey, how does this thing go so fast without all of us falling off."

Gilgamesh snapped his finger, causing his black attire to change to his golden armor. He then ran his right hand through his hair, adjusting it to its spiked-up appearance, "Vimana generates a protective aura that shields it's passengers during flight." The King of Heroes said before as he walked over to the throne and sat down, resting his right-hand knuckles on his chin, "Be honored that I am letting you three and that mongrel even lay a hand on my throne." Suddenly, the airship began to rise as it angled away from Chaldea academy, "Now then," He said as he raised his left hand, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, a burner engine ignited as Vimana sored through the sky at an insane speed.

 **AN: There you go, the villains out shopping aren't being so villainy now, (If you haven't checked out the Tv Tropes page for this story, I highly recommend it. It can help you recap the story if you are new here and has had a lot of effort put into it). I really do like the way I had Mercury and Emerald develop, and that scene for her at the end is going to stay with her for a bit. Roman shows up for a bit, but Sun goes the extra mile to get to Apocrypha, only for Yang and her friends to take him back to Vale with sore abs, (This is why you always define the relationship). This ark is going to be fun, as I get to cameo a few more rwby characters, and give some cool reveals/payoffs.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	48. Chapter 46 - Entering Vale

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has a bit of a slow start but picks up in the character drama in the middle. We get a lot of cool cameos from the RWBY side, with me giving a bit more context and background to a certain character. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 46 – Entering Vale**

 _Yang._

Just a few hours ago, the sun had set over the kingdom of Vale. The night sky loomed over the land as a lone ray of light shot through the sky. It was the Vimana, landing just outside the Foreverfall forest with not a soul in sight, "This should be far enough, " Gilgamesh said as he stood up, his attire changed back to his causal black, "I don't want this academy to assume this is an enemy ship."

"What you don't think you can take them?" Mordred commented.

"Hardly," Gilgamesh responded, "I can render this entire kingdom to nothing more than a new habitat for those disgusting creatures before sunrise. The only reason I don't because that does not amuse me." He then had a slight smirk as he walked, "at least, not at the moment."

Yang overhead as she checked on Sun, "That's a little unsettling," She said to herself as she looked over at his abdomen, seeing a large purple bruise in the shape of her fist in his abs.

"Yuck," Nobu said as she walked over, "How you are going to sneak him in when he looks like that." She asked with Yang think. Suddenly, the blond berserker had an idea. She knelt and buttoned up his open white shirt. His wound was fully concealed, but she then looked at his closed eyes. She then had another idea, reaching into her back pocket. Yang pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on the monkey Faunus, "…That'll work." Nobu said before looking at his pockets. She reached in and pulled out a wallet, taking out a few lien bills before putting it back, "I need some of this kingdom's currency to buy my book. I don't think he'll miss it." She said with Yang looked down at Sun, feeling some sense of karma at this situation. Nobu then pocketed the money and jumped off Vimana.

Yang picked up Sun, having him lean on her shoulder, "Okay team, this is the mission." She said with a smile as she jumped down the ground, "Goldie and I are going to drop this guy off in his dorm room at Beacon." She then looked over to the prideful knight, "Mor, I sent you the address to where you might be able to get some information. Go there and hope we get lucky." She then looked over to the Grimm archer, "And Nobu…I guess just do your own thing."

"It's what I do best," Nobu responded before she turned around and started walking, "Alright, we meet back here in two hours. Just leave the ship here so I remember this is the spot."

"Don't get in trouble while you're out." Mordred called before looking back to Yang, "You really think this person will know about my father?"

"No harm in asking," Yang responded, "Also, don't worry about walking back here. I'll stop by to pick you up." Mordred then grinned before turning around and walking the other direction. Yang began to walk with Gilgamesh as they headed towards Beacon. However, a thought occurred to her, "Hey, you don't think anyone back at the entrance to Chaldea overheard us talking about going to Vale?"

"Even if they did, it doesn't affect us now." Gilgamesh commented, "All we need to do get back on time, and everything with work out in our favor." He said with Yang nodding in agreeance.

After a few minutes of silence over the forest, something underneath Vimana moved. Crawling out was Musashi, who wielded a katana in each hand, "Wow, I didn't think I could hold on for that long." She said as the katanas faded away in her hands, her eyes filled with determination, "But when I overheard them, I knew this was my opportunity to have one of those massive bowls of noodles." She said before she walked off into the distance, "I just hope they're still open."

 _Gilgamesh._

Yang and Gilgamesh had made their way onto Beacon's premises. They snuck through the courtyard into one of the dormitories. As they walked the halls, the King of Heroes scanned the ceiling, "No surveillance equipment." He said to the blond berserker, "I guess it is true, the other kingdoms are more complacent."

"That's an interesting thing for someone like you to say," Yang said with a grin. After walking for a bit, she stopped in front of a door to a room, "I think this was Sun's." She said facing the door, "Now, how do we open it?"

"I assume this Kingdom's locks do not operate like Chaldea's." Gilgamesh asked as he looked at the knob, seeing a keyhole, "Such a primitive system you have here."

"Well, we make due." Yang said as he reached into Sun pocket for a key, "Ah crap," she said as she realized something, "He must have dropped it somewhere on his journey. All he has in his pockets are his wallet, his scroll…," She then pulled out her left hand, discovering something small in it, "And a hairpin?" Suddenly she had an idea, "Never mind, we don't need a key." She said before she began to bend and straighten the hairpin.

Gilgamesh leaned over to see Yang holding the hairpin in the keyhole as she moved it around, "I did not know you had a lockpicking skill."

"How else do you think I got into my dad's liquor cabinet?" Yang said as she closed her left eye, focusing on the lock, "My uncle always liked to try and break into it whenever he visited. I picked it up watching him." She then had a slight smiled as her mind driffed,"That was the first time I very tired wine."

"I see," Gilgamesh said with a smile, "Are you as much of a savant as your teammate in taste testing."

"Nope," Yang responded, "Wiess knows all about that stuff. I just know if it tastes good or not by my standards." She said before she heard a slight clicking sound, "Yes, we're in." She said as she opened the door, "Okay, I'll put Sun in his room. Leave him a little note explaining that he shouldn't try to sneak back and just wait for Blake to come back here."

"You think he will follow that?" Gilgamesh asked.

"He better," Yang said with a smirk, "With all the training I have done with Martha, I surprised myself that I could take him out in one punch. My guess is he will be bedridden for weeks." She said before picking up Sun, taking off the sunglasses of his head, "Huh, didn't even need these." She said before putting them on herself, "You keep watch and act naturally if anyone walks by." She said before closing the door.

Gilgamesh smirked as he put his hands in his pocket, leaning against the opposite wall. A few minutes passed, causing him to close his eyes in boredom. Suddenly, a person bumped into him, causing the King of Heroes to open his eyes in irritation. He turned to discover a young man with short brown hair. He wore a grey suit of armor as he continued to walk, "It would be wise of you to apologize for that discretion, Mongrel." Gilgamesh said with a smirk, "Before it is too late."

"Mongrel?" The young man said as he turned around, "You should have moved out of my way!" He then had a look of confusion at him, "I haven't seen you around here, who are you?"

"I am the King of Heroes," Gilgamesh responded, "Now, you best show me respect. Unless you want to end up-"

"You, a King? Ha!" The young man said as he interrupted Gilgamesh, "Well then, if you're a King," He said as he took his left hand and tussled Gilgamesh's hair, "Where's your crown?"

"…" Gilgamesh remained silent as he shot the young man a death glare with his red eyes.

A second later, Yang opened the door as she took off her sunglass, "Okay, I put Sun in his bed. All we need to do is-" Suddenly, she noticed something odd. Gilgamesh was adjusting his hair as he stood next to the young man in grey armor. However, the young man's body was a fourth of the way into the ceiling, his arms and legs hanging limply to his sides, only twitching at random intervals, "What happened?" Yang questioned, "Is that Cardin?"

"I did not bother asking that Mongrel for something so pointless to me like his name," Gilgamesh said as he finished fixing his hair. He then looked up at Cardin's body and grinned, "But after this, I doubt he even will remember his own name."

"How did you not make any noise?" Yang asked, "I mean, he's in the ceiling."

"One of my treasures has that ability," Gilgamesh responded, "I thought ahead in this situation."

"Okay, last question," Yang asked as she looked back to Gilgamesh, "What did he do to you to make you turn him into a chandelier?"

"He touched my hair," Gilgamesh responded, "Wouldn't you do the same."

"Oh, one-hundred percent, I would send him flying." Yang commented back in agreeance, "Now, for our next stop." She declared before walking.

"Which is?" Gilgamesh asked as he followed.

"My room," Yang said with the King of Heroes rising an eyebrow, "Don't get any funny ideas, I'm just picking up my keys for my Bumblebee."

"I see," He said as they walked. After a few minutes, the two stopped at another door. This time, Yang reached in her pocket for a key she used on the knob. As she opened the door, Gilgamesh looked in to see the makeshift bunk beds, one held by rope and the other made with some stacked book, "Your living conditions seem rather…unsafe."

"It just keeps things interesting." Yang said with a smile as she went to the right-side nightstand, she opened it up and searched inside, "Anyway, just make yourself comfortable while I search for them." She said with Gilgamesh closing the door as he entered, "I still cannot believe Sun."

"That Mongrel's ignorance was his undoing," Gilgamesh responded, "He did not know how to properly communicate."

"Yeah well, defining a relationship is important," Yang said as she searched.

"Indeed," Gilgamesh said as he began to smirk, "Which is why I think it is important we have that conversation." His statement caused Yang to pause her search, "The way I see it, you and I have a lot in common." He said with Yang turning to him with a raised eyebrow, "Both of us share the same interest, and have similar opinions on the way things should work."

"We're also blonds that shouldn't be messed with," Yang added on as she walked over to him, "I guess you're right, we would make a pretty sweet couple." She said before standing a foot away from the King of Heroes. Suddenly, her eyes slowly closed as she leaned in. Her head tilted to the right as her lips slightly parted. Gilgamesh did the same after he smiled. However, at the last second, Yang pulled herself back. As she opened her eyes, she gently punched Gilgamesh in the chin, causing him to open his eyes in confusion, "But, I know that's not really what you're looking for." Yang said as she took a step back and crossed her arms, "You're looking for another treasure for your collection. You want to own me, not be with me." Gilgamesh remained silent as he looked at Yang, causing her to wink at him, "Don't worry, you're still cute, but you have to tell me you're serious about us. You know, because communication is important." She then looked down at the nightstand, seeing a set of keys, "I'll give you some time to think about what to say." She said as she reached for the keys, "Better make it something good." Yang said before walking out of the room.

Gilgamesh stood in the room, alone with his thoughts, "Defying me, not disrespecting, but defying me." He said to himself. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face, "Yang Xiao Long, you are truly interesting." He said before walking out of the room.

 _Mordred._

Mordred made her way down a dark alley in the shady part of Vale. She followed the instruction on her scroll to the entrance of some type of nightclub. The prideful knight looked up to see the title of this establishment, The Club, causing her to have an equestrian look. As she was about to enter, she looked at the last line of her roommates' instructions, "She can't be serious." Mordred said to herself before sight.

On the inside of the establishment, a man in a red and black suit with sunglasses walked around with a broom and dustpan. Suddenly, as he walked near the door, the same door blasted open and most of its hinges. The door slammed into the man, sending him flying and into the wall. As Mordred walked in, she was soon swarmed with multiple guys pointing guns at her. The prideful knight then took out her scroll, "She said to kick the door in!" Mordred said to the crowd, but they remained silent and concentrated on her.

"What are you doing here, Blondie." Mordred heard someone call past the crowd, "I just closed up for the night." The voice was clearer now, as Mordred saw a man in a bartender uniform and a short beard. He looked to Mordred with a tired look, but it quickly changed to one of confusion, "Wait…you're a different Blondie."

"My name is Mordred, I'm a friend of Yang." Mordred said with all the guy's gun cocked at the same time, "…Who I'm guessing is not as close to you as I thought."

"No, we're not." The bartender responded, "You can call me Junior, and if you see Blondie again, tell her that door is a pain to fix!"

"I get that, I'll tell her," Mordred said as she put her scroll away, "But, she told me you could help me find someone."

"Why should I help you?" Junior retorted, "You're too young to even drink here."

"Hey, I'm old enough to drink in Apocrypha," Mordred responded causing the gunmen to gasp, "…What?"

"Nobody mentions that Kingdom unless they are from there." Junior responded, "Are you from that place of psychopathic powerhouses?"

"I am," Mordred responded with a smile, "I am also the Son of the King of Knight."

"The king of Knights!?" one of the gunmen, the only one to have a mustache, said out loud, "Isn't that the guy that got turned into a chick?"

Without hesitation, Mordred summons her Clarent and rushed to the gunman with a mustache. He felt the tip of the sword to his throat as Mordred glared at him, "Say something like that again, and I do more with this weapon than shave off that sorry excuse for facial hair." She said with a line of sweat going down his face. the other gunmen aimed at Mordred, but they seem less confident in their numbers after her show of weaponry.

"Hold your horses." Junior declared, "I don't want to have to deal with the insurances guys again after your friend's last visit," He said as he noticed Mordred was still glaring at the gunman, "And I feel you will make an even bigger mess." He then started to walk near the bar. Mordred lowered her weapon as she followed him but did not recall it.

"So, what exactly is it you do here," Mordred asked as he walked behind the counter. She then sat down at one of the stools.

"Well, half the time I run this club." Junior said as he pulled out a laptop from under the counter, "The other half, I manage a type of …Mercenary agency."

"What?" Mordred inquired.

"If you need someone to act as a bodyguard or a mercenary, someone at the level of an experienced hunter or huntress, I help find the person for you." Junior said as he began to type in the laptop, "Doesn't matter the type of business used in, so long as I get my cut."

"Oh," Mordred responded as she looked around, seeing all the gunmen disperses, "So, are all these guys mercenaries."

"They are just my on-hand selection, the cheap help if you will." Junior responded, "They've just hired goons for someone who wants to look tough." He then looked over to see two identical looking black-haired girls, one in a red dress and the other a white one, "Those twins are my bodyguards for this place, the bouncers if you will." Mordred then looked over at the twins, who then made eye-contact with her.

"Melanie, who that this girl?" The red dress girl asked her twin.

"I don't know, Miltia," The white dress girl responded, "But we should let the Boss conduct his business."

"Agreed." Miltia reposed as the two walked away, "I would rather not another headache from our last blond."

"Agreed," Melanie said as she followed her sister.

"Yikes Yang, what did you do here?" Mordred said under her breath before she turned back to Junior, "What are you looking up."

"I have a secure site a few people manage where individuals in need of bodyguards can find them." Junior responded as he grinned, "Think of it like a Mercenary dating site." He said, but Mordred was bemused, causing his smile to fade, "Regardless, it tells me who is guarding for whom. Who is available to the market, and who you need to stay away from if you want to live."

"So, you're going to look up if my father is some lowly bodyguard!?" Mordred responded in anger, "He would never willing be something like that."

"Well, you may be right." Junior responded, "I looked up the King of Knights and all of the known alias, no results." He said before speaking under his breath, "Male or female."

"So, then this was just a waste of time?" Mordred spoke up.

"I'm not done searching," the bartender responded, "That was only if your father was a mercenary. Now, let's see if he hired a mercenary." Junior said as Mordred was about to speak up, but he cut her off, "Now, you're going to tell me your father is strong enough to take care of himself." He said with Mordred having an annoyed look on her face, "Just listen, when someone with that type of title goes missing, they can attract a whole lot less attention if they aren't the ones fighting people looking for them."

"Okay," Mordred said in a calming down manner of speaking, "But who would my father hire?"

Junior then turned the laptop around, "You tell me." He said with Mordred seeing a long list of names, "These are just mercenaries in your kingdoms general area, any of them ring a bell?"

"No…" Mordred said as she scanned the list of names. However, her eyes fixated on a name, "Wait, that one!" Mordred said as she pointed at the screen, the name read Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, "That guy was a teacher at my school. He also hung around my father a lot." Suddenly, Mordred had a realization, "He left the academy not too long after my father vanished." He then turned to Junior, "Tell me, who is he guarding?"

"Well, that can be a bit tricky," Junior said as he turned the laptop back to him, "I can tell you the name of the client, but I can guarantee it is a fake name to protect their identity." He then pressed a few buttons before the sighting, "Yeah, the person's name is Mysterious Heroine X, defiantly does not want to be found." He then looked back to Mordred, who had a look of sudden realization, "What?"

"That name…" Mordred said in a trembling voice, "Years ago, my school did a onetime costume party. I overheard my father saying he completely forgot about it. So, he put on some pair of blue shorts, a blue jacket, and a blue cap. Then he said his name was Mysterious Heroine X." Mordred said Junior going quiet, "Also that he was from space." Her last commenced had Junior try to hide his laugh. Mordred smiled as she knew, "I found my father."

"According to this, Diarmuid was last seen in a town in the far east side of Apocrypha." Junior responded, "If you can get there quickly, you might still catch him or your father."

"Thank you," Mordred responded as she got up.

"If you want to thank me, tell Yang not to come back until she is really old enough to step foot in a bar." He said with Mordred nodding. Just as the prideful knight made her way to the exit, Junior called out, "And one more thing," he said with Mordred turning back, "Tell her I looked into the person she wanted information about." Junior said before his expression turned serious, "And if she wants my opinion, the best thing she can do is stay away from her." Mordred smiled then weakened for a second, she paused for nodding, then exited the Club.

After a few seconds of silence, Junior sighed. He then looked back to the laptop, but just as he was about to close it, he noticed a different name, "What, why is he-?" the bartender said before he took out his scroll and dialed a number, "…Hey Roman, you how I can get a safe message to your boss." Junior said as he glared at the laptop, "I just found out something she should know."

 **AN: There you go, the first part of the Vale operation is underway. However, the gang had a stowaway in Musashi. Yang and Gilgamesh have a little talk that ends a bit different to the other ones of this story. I also like that Gilgamesh vs. Cardin last about as long as it should. Mordred goes to the Club, were she meets a lot of people. I liked giving Junior some context to the world here, since the show kind of just passes over him. And I got to write the twins a bit, which was fun and are character I like more than I really should considering their screen time. And then Mordred finds where her daddy is, now she just needs to meet her in time.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	49. Chapter 47 - Taking the Heat

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has some crazy stuff happen, as well as talks about what is on those videos. Fair warning, I get a little convoluted in the explanation that Cinder gives near the end. It is me trying to interpret a part of rwby's storyline that is never fully explained. If it is confusion, message me and I will type to explain it better. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 47 – Taking the Heat**

 _Roman._

Roman Torchwick walked down the night streets of Vale, his right ear to his scroll as his left hand held his cane, "So, he is actually alive…" He said as before he sighed, "Yeah, I should let her know…I can tell her tonight after I do my job…Thanks, Junior." The orange haired criminal said before closing his scroll.

Roman then stopped in front of a store. He looked up to see the title of the establishment read Tukson's Book Trade. He walked in with a bell ringing as a door chime. A male faunus behind the counter was reading a book, "Welcome to Tuks-" The store owner said as he looked up at his customer, "Oh, it's you." He said in a perturbed voice.

"Come on Tukson, I thought you would be happy to see me." Roman responded, "Be happy me and not my Boss' other grunts." He then walked over to the counter, "Now, I was told you got what I asked for."

"That depends," Tukson responded, "What is the title of the book you want?"

" _The Pillar of Light_." Roman responded with a grin, "My Boss really want to read that book."

"I think I have one copy in the back," Tukson said with a nod, "Just wait here and watch the store." He said with Roman nodding.

Tukson exited through a storage door while Roman leaned against the counter. He waited for a few minutes in silence until he heard the door chime. He turned back around, and for a split second, his face turned white. Entering in was Nobu. However, the Grimm Archer had a pair of red headphones on, but her music was still somewhat auditable to where Roman was. She had her eyes closed as it looked like she was miming playing the guitar. She walked off near the front of the story near the comic section, "Yikes, for a second there, I thought she was Red." Roman said as he adjusted his bowler hat, "But it's just some other brat."

Suddenly, Tukson walked out carrying a green book in his right hand, "You're in luck, this one came in just a few hours ago." He said as he made it back to the counter, "How will pay?" He said with Roman reaching into his pocket and pulling out a stack of liens held together by a rubber band. The orange haired criminal placed it on the counter as he took the book from Tukson, "Personally, I like chapters six," he said as Roman looked through the book, "That is when the story moves into its next act." Roman then noticed on the title page for chapter six. In the center of the page was a rectangular cut out for multiple pages. Stowed within the pages was a flash drive.

"Great," Roman said as he closed the book, "My boss thanks you for your obedience." He said with Tukson gritting his teeth as he took the money off the counter, "Next time, I think I will just have you deliver them to the docks, saving me part of the hassle."

"HEY!" Roman and Tukson turned to see Nobu calling to them, "What's the deal. You have only up to volume seven, but volume eight came out last week." She said as she moved her headphones down, resting them on her neck, "I thought this place has every book, and I assume that includes comic books."

"That is just for marketing," Tukson said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "If it just came out, and it is pretty popular, I'm most likely sold out."

"Well, can't you check in the back," Nobu asked as she crossed her arms, causing Tukson to sigh as he walked back to the storage door.

"You really shouldn't read those things kid," Roman suggested as he walked past her, "They'll rot your brain." Suddenly, Nobu glanced at the book in Roman's hand, snatching it out, "Hey!" he said in anger.

"So, I guess these are more thought-provoking stories." Nobu said as she looked at the book, "I hate reading books like these, too long and not enough pictures." As she was about the open the book, Roman closed it as he grabbed it with his right hand. Nobu glared up at him as she had her hands still on the book.

"Listen, kid," Roman said as he pointed the end of his cane at her face, "Let go, and nothing bad will happen to you."

"Oh, are we playing imaginary weapons?" Nobu jokingly responded as he let go of the book with her right hand. She then made a right angle with her index finger and thumb as she pointed at him, "Bang..." She said with her grip on the book tightening.

"You're really starting to piss me off," Roman said before he pressed a button on his cane, causing a small hatch to flood out from the bottom end, "And this isn't imaginary."

Nobu grinned as she looked up at him, "Neither is mine," She said before one her rifles from in her right hand, the barrel aimed at Roman's face, causing a line of sweat to run down his face, "What, never seen something like this before."

Roman thought to himself as the two were in a stare down, "Seriously, what is with brats these days."

A few seconds of silence passed between. Suddenly, Tukson walked out of the strange room, "Okay, I think I have the one you're looking for-" at that moment, Nobu looked over to Tukson to try and see the cover of the book. In responses, Roman grinned as he pressed a button on his cane. Nobu then quickly glanced back to see the end of the barreling lighting up. Out of instinct she jumped back and pulled the trigger on her gun. Roman's grin then turned into a look of panic as he saw a red beam fire from the rifle as the ball of burning dust left his cane. He jumped back, with only the beam grazing his bowler hat, sending it off his head. Similarly, the ball of burning dust had collided with the metal plate on Nobu's hat, blasting it off her head.

The two landed a few feet from each other, quickly realizing what they had lost off the top of their heads. Roman looked to see his hat still smoking from the laser fire, a large hole in the left side. Nobu turned to see the metal plate on her hat was warped and burnt. The two then heard the sound a book hit the floor, realizing it was The Pillar of Light that Roman had acquired. It sat equidistant between them, a fact both realized at the same time. They soon pointed their weapons at one another with a look of fury, "That was a very expensive hat!" Both said at the same time to another.

"Roman, calm down!" Tukson shouted, "This is why I don't want to do business with you. You keep dragging your problems into my store."

"Shut up Tukson!" Roman declared as he maintained his gaze on Nobu, "This is personal now."

"Exactly," Nobu added on, "...But that is the one I am looking for, ring me up for that would you?"

"No, this isn't going to happen, not in my store." Tukson said as he slammed the comic book on the counter, glaring at Roman, "Get out of my store. Or else you will be leaving here in a body bag." He said with Roman reaming silent, "That was your last warning, get out!" the store owner demanded, but Roman remained silent, causing Tukson's claws to flare out, "I said, GET O-" Suddenly, Roman turned to Tukson a quick fired a shot from his cane. The blast of fiery dust collided with the storeowner's chest, sending him back into a wall. Once he collided with the wall, his body slowly slides down to a sitting position. His eyes were vacant as blood poured out of his mouth, his chest still crackling from the burn marks.

"Should have minded his own business," Roman said before he looked over to Nobu. However, he had a look of panic as she dived for the book he needed. Nobu gripped the edge of the book with her hand. However, Roman flipped his cane around, pressing another button on the opposite side. Suddenly, the handle shot out like a grappling hook. The hook grasped the book as Nobu had her grip on the other end. The two struggled over the book until Nobu chucked it to the side. Roman's hook lost its grip as he watched the book fall into a bookshelf. Upon collision, multiple books fell out and onto the floor, "No!" Roman said as he ran to the pillar of books, scanning the title of each. Suddenly, he found the book he was looking for. But just as he was about to pick it up, a red laser blasted the book to pieces. He had a look of panic fill his eyes before he felt the end of the barrel against the back of his head.

"Boy, you really liked that book, didn't you?" Nobu commented as she looked down at Roman, "It's not a good feeling when someone destroys something you like."

"You're bluffing, you don't have the guts to pull the trigger." Roman said as a line ran swear rolled down his face, "Otherwise, you would have shot me by now."

"It's not that I don't have the guts." Nobu responded as she pushed the barely further into his head, "But if I kill someone from another kingdom, it could cause a conflict, maybe even a war, to break out unlike any other. All because you shot my hat off." He then leaned in as she pushed the gun in further, "And right now…I'm thinking about it."

"You're insane!" Roman said as he gritted his teeth in dread.

"I like to think I have Mad Enhancement," Nobu responded, "It is a benefit of a little process I am going through."

"Oh yeah," Roman said as he looked back down. Suddenly, he noticed something in the remnants of the destroyed book. In the center of the pile, he saw the flash drive, undamaged, "Well, I don't think you will live to see the end of it." Suddenly, Roman grabbed the flash drive. He then pressed a button right before Nobu pulled the trigger on her weapon. the fireball of dust shot out first, colliding with the floor to make an explosion. The shockwave pushed Roman out of the way of Nobu's shot. While at the same time, through Nobu off her balance.

As Nobu recover, Roman unleashed a volley of shots from his weapon. The Grimm Archer dodged each one, letting them pass right by her as she tried to aim at her. However, after half a dozen shots, Nobu smelt something. She turned to see the books and bookshelves behind her were on fire. Smoke began to fill the store as Nobu began to cough. She then turned back to Roman, who had the handle end of his cane aimed at her. He fired it once before like a grappling hook, but Nobu ducked it. As the Grimm Archer aimed her rifle at him, she noticed Roman pulling the cane back towards himself. Nobu had a look of confusion, then she felt a book land on her head. She then turned around to discover she was directly behind a tall bookshelf, one that was toppling over her. Nobu tired to run away, but it was too late as the whole shelf fell upon her. the weight of the shelf and book stuck her back and head, pushing her to the ground.

Roman looked over to see the girl unconscious and trapped under the books. As he retracted his cane handle, the fire had spread to the book atop of Nobu, igniting them. He then looked over to Tukson's body, seeing the fire had already spread to his counter. Roman then covered his mouth as he ran out the entrance. He then ran down the sidewalk to his right, ducking into an alley as multiple police cars began to circle the area. He then investigated his right hand to see if he still held the flash drive, to his relief, it was still undamaged. Roman then sighed as he pocketed the device, walking down the alley, "Well, I still got what I came for." He said as he looked up at the sky, "Whoever she was, it's not my problem anymore."

A few minutes later, a fire truck arrived on the scene as the store was engulfed in flames. As they were about to release the hydrant, they noticed someone in the doorway. Walking out was Nobu, who seemed unaffected by the fire as she had a sick smile on her face. One of her fists clenched while the other gripped with looked like a burnt comic book, too in cinders to read. The policeman and firefighters had a look of fear come upon them as if they were watching a Grimm walk out of some pit as her fiery red eyes looked into the distance, "…Kid?" one of the police officers asked as Nobu walked, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm great," Nobu said as she walked past the police officer.

"What happened?" A firefighter asked, "Who started this fire?"

Nobu then stopped, turning her head towards the group with a sadistic smile, "Don't worry, I'll take care of who did this." She said with the two group have a look of dread fill their eyes. Suddenly, part of the store collapsed due to the fire, diverting their attention back to it for a second. One of the officers turned back around towards Nobu, but the Grimm Archer was gone.

 _Musashi_

Near an underpass laid an open noodle shop with one customer inside. Musashi lifted a gigantic bowl as she slurped the broth from her noodles. After finishing, she let out a satisfied sigh upon placing the bowl atop a pile of five other bowls of equal absurd size, "That was the perfect midnight snack." She said she pulled out her scroll as an elderly man pulled the empty bowl away, noticing it was about an hour and a half since her arrival, "I guess I'll pay and go, don't want to be late for takeoff." She said as she reached into his pocket, pulling out her class card. She handed it to the elderly store owner, but he tossed it back at her. Confused, Musashi looked back to see the elderly noodle man pointing to a plastic sign.

'Only accept liens, no tabs allowed.'

"Liens?" Musashi said before she realized, "Oh crap, that's this kingdoms currency." She then had a slight giggle as she looked at him, "Uh...I can't pay." The old man the scowled as he pointed to the same sign, only a bit lower.

'Can't pay, can work it off.'

"Oh, I can't do that either." Musashi responded with the store owner getting angrier, "You see, I'm going back to my kingdom tonight and need to make sure I get to the-" Suddenly, the store pointed to the same sign, only lower than before.

'Employees get free lunch.'

Musashi read the sentence, a smile forming on her face.

 _Cinder._

Back in Apocrypha, Cinder sat in the rooftop garden of the Einzbern mansion. She sat at the same table as she did a week ago. As Cinder worked on her laptop, Archer walked over with a small blanket it had hands. He walked over to the other chair, seeing Chole curled up as she slept. As he was about to place the blanket over her, Cinder's phone rang, causing the red mantled girl to spring up in shock. In doing so, her head collided with the blanket and got tangled. Archer let go of the blanket as Chole pulled it off her head, "I'm up, I'm up, I'm up." Chole said as she put her head on the table, "I'm super tired." She said as Cinder answered the phone.

"You didn't have to stay up this late," Archer said as he sat down in an empty chair, turning to Cinder.

"You got the flash drive…" Cinder asked over the phone, soon having a smile on her face, "…Excellent." She then rested the phone on her shoulder as she typed, "Now, send the contents through the channel I'm about to open up. You'll see something wanting a seven-digit authorization code. I will give you it now." She said as she typed, "Code C-H-4-L-D-6-4…" She then waited in silence, waiting for something to appear on her screen. Suddenly, a file opened on her screen, "I have it now, erase all data on your end, destroy the flash drive, and nobody will be none the wiser." She then had a smile as she grabbed the scroll, "Good job Ro-…" Cinder said as she heard the other end to speak up, "…I see, if it was unavoidable, there is no use in dwelling on it…What else?" She said as she had a slight look of confusion fill her eyes, "And Junior confirmed that…Very well, I will let him know in the morning…Goodbye." She said before hanging up her scroll.

"What was that last part?" Chole asked.

"A matter I need to discuss with a team member." Cinder said as she opened the file, leading to a page of multiple other file names, "But that is not our primary concern at the moment." She then scanned through the files, smiling as she opened one, "This one has the codes we are looking for." She said with Archer leaning in. Cinder then reopened the file with a list of names and the video link. As she clicked on the link, she was brought to a menu where she had a timer next to a box asking for a code. The black-haired archer quickly typed the code she got from the other file before time could run out, causing the box to turn green before disappearing, "Here we go." Cinder said as she re-clicked on the video link.

Suddenly, a small window opened for the video to play in. it showed a black title card that read, 'Subject: Sakura Matou. Kingdom: Apocrypha. Program Title: BB.' After a few seconds, the title card transitioned into a video feed, one showing Sakura with a confused look on her face as she looked directly into the screen, "...Is it on?" She said as the three watching the video were left completely confused, "Maybe I need to press the button again." Sakura said as her arms went out of frame.

"What are we looking at?" Cinder asked in confusion.

"That's Sakura." Archer said as he looked in the background of the video, "She's in our old team's room." He then looked to the upper right corner, seeing a date on the video, "It looks like it was six months before she died."

"Not only that," Chloe said as she pointed to the timeline of the video, seeing as it was barely moving, "This video is over three-hundred hours long!"

"Oh, it is on!" Sakura said as she pulled away from her seat, "Ah, hi…ah me." Sakura said as she adjusted her hair, while still nervous, her voice a little more confident now, "This is my first entry in my video diary."

"A video diary?" Cinder inquired as she glanced over to Archer, "Did you know she had smoothing like this?"

"No," Archer responded, "I mean, her brother often said she had dairy, but one like a notebook."

"I had to stop writing in my old dairy, Shinji would always find it threaten to show it to people if I didn't do his homework." Sakura said as Archer looked of anger fill his eye anger, "But, I heard one of the other kingdoms called Atlas has this new program that acts as a type of video diary." She said as she parted her hair, "I have to keep this a bit more hidden, so no one finds this." She then had a slight giggle in her voice, "I'm so nervous, I don't know why I'm explaining so much when I'm basically talking to myself."

"…This is wrong." Archer said as she turned to Cinder, "We shouldn't be watching this. Stop the video."

"What?" Chloe said as Cinder paused the video, "But, we waited so long to get in." Archer then turned to her and glared, "Okay, okay, you're right." Chloe then turned to Cinder, "I still don't get how this connects BB to Sakura."

Cinder then opened another of the files that were recently sent to her, "Let's see," She then quickly scanned the file, forming a slightly contemplative look, "…The process is very convoluted, but it looks like to in order to create an A.I. that can maintain a type of aura, the program needs to has a basis of a wide range of emotions."

"…What?" Chloe responded, "What does that mean."

"Again, I am trying to translate scientific explanation that even Atlas doesn't know why things work this way." Cinder defended herself, "The way I am seeing this, it looks like the successful A.I. can generate an aura, despite being a machine. This is accomplished by the A.I. being created from one of the subject's video diaries." She then scrolled as she looked for more information, "Multiple tests revealed that only videos of deceased people showed any form of progress. The longer the content and the more emotional the person is, the more likely for a success."

"So, I simple terms," Chloe responded, "They tricked the program to think it is a person with feelings, so it can generate an aura for protection." She then crossed her arms and had a slightly angered look, "This is why I hate all of my science classes, this is too confusing."

"That is one conclusion," Cinder said as she continued to read, "It seems even the best results have only created A.I. with no recollection of diseased individual used in its creation, just having the emotional capacity of that person it some extent." She then reached the end of this file, "However, it mentions that if an A.I. learns of its origins and its true identity, the program uncontrollably will delete itself."

"It will commit suicide because it thinks it's already dead." Archer interpreted, "That's why they give then a code name." Cinder opened a new fill as Archer put his right hand to his face, "If I had continued to ask her why BB looked like Sakura…she would have." He then turned back to Cinder, "But why send BB to a kingdom were people could recognize her?"

"Apparently, they assumed nobody would," Cinder said as she read, "You can be the verification, but they say her dairies portered her as only hanging around her teammates and one professor called the King of Knight." She said as Archer looked at the file with Cinder, "Since that professor went missing and her other team members were not at the kingdom, they thought they were fine to send her here." She then turned back Archer, "Because of you and Rin's name change, they didn't know who you two were to her." she crossed her arms, "We are thankful Rin has kept her distance BB."

"This…This is immoral. They can't do this to someone's memory." Archer responded, "What do they hope to gain from this?"

"As with any experiment of this nature, one hopes to gain knowledge of what is really possible in this world," Cinder responded in a somber voice, "When you die, that is the end of your story." She then read through the file before closing the laptop, "But they are using the dead to can create a type of programmable soldier to replace their current army, and then all hunters and huntresses."

"Well, doesn't our school have the catacombs with that creepy dude in sunglass," Chloe asked, "He uses the dead in his classes."

"That is different," Archer responded, "The people he uses are those that agreed beforehand to have their bodies used this way after death, respecting their memory." He then glared at the laptop, "I know Sakura would never agree to something like this. They hacked her diary and waited until she died to make BB."

"Yes, that was the last thing I read," Cinder commented, her eyes slightly closed, "I don't really feel like continuing this discussion."

Archer sighed as he stood up, "I understand, I feel anything else I learn could make me do something I will regret." He said as he started walking away, "We should all get some sleep, it's a busy day for all of us tomorrow." He then looked over to Cinder, "Thank you for helping me learn the truth about …her. We can resume your reality marble training after I assist a teacher and a student in their training."

"Shirou?" Chole said in a worried voice, "Will you be okay?"

Archer looked down at her with a smile, "I'll be fine." He said before walking away from the two.

Cinder and Chloe watched him leave, a few seconds of silences passed between them, "That was a fake smile," Cinder said once Archer was out of earshot, "I'm not sure what is hurting him more. Knowing what BB really is, or seeing Sakura again in that video?" The two then looked up at the night sky, seeing a starry night, "…The moon is beautiful tonight," Cinder said as she looked up at the shattered moon, a weak smile on her face.

"Yeah…" Chloe said as she looked up at it as well, the same smile on her face.

 _Meanwhile._

Roman sat back in a chair with his hat over her eyes. On a table in front of him was a computer with a destroyed flash drive next to. While the orange-haired criminal laid asleep, a sudden gunshot sound awoke him. He scanned the area as he looked for his cane, quickly discovering it against the nearby wall. He rushed over to it, but red laser collided with the cane, blasting it to pieces. He then looked to the origin of the shot, but his face soon turned white with panic. Walking out of the shadows was Nobu, each hand holding a rifle. One aimed at wear Roman's cane was with smoke radiating from the barrel, the other resting on her shoulder. Also emerging from the shadows were multiple floating rifles around the Grimm Archer. As her head came into the light, her iris and hair seemed to have a reddish tint as she smiled.

 **AN: There you go, Roman runs it Nobu at a book store. And because of when this story takes place in the RWBY series of event, Tukson is still alive…only to be killed by Roman's cane…so he dies even earlier than normal…Regardless, while Roman won round one, Nobu revels that she been going through a little change in the time between her plan to take done a certain ice queen. She is not a full berserker now but is getting pretty closes. Also, Musashi gets her dream meal, but at what cost? Then we learn that the video file is a video dairy Sakura kept before she died. Atlas used that to make an android that can sustain aura, making BB what she is. This kind of means aura is powered by the emotional capacity of the individual, which the shows doesn't confirm, but is what I always see and believe. Archer has a lot to process now, and Cinder has to have an important conversation with someone. If all goes according, next chapter will be the end of the return to Vale of this story.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	50. Chapter 48 - Moving Forward

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has the conclusion of Vale ark, and I really do like how it turned out. It has a lot of laughs, lot of action, and has a good moment at the end. Thank you always for your support and for checking out this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 48 – Moving Forward**

 _Mordred._

Mordred sat on a curb in the parking lot near The Club's front entrance. She looked at her scroll as she sighed. Suddenly, she heard motorcycles in the distance. She looked up to see two bright lights heading towards her. As the prideful knight stood up, Yang and Gilgamesh pulled up in their respective rides, "Wow," Mordred said as she looked at Yang's bumblebee, "Nice bike."

"Thanks," Yang said as she and Gilgamesh parked, "As you can see, we got what we came for. How about you?"

"Well, that guy wasn't too happy when he heard I was your friend." Mordred said with Yang have a slight smirk, "But, I think we figured out where my Father is."

"Oh, The King of Knights is who you were looking for," Gilgamesh commented, "Interesting."

"That's amazing!" Yang said in glee, "Where is sh…he…I still don't know which one is correct?"

"My Father might be in a town in the far east side of Apocrypha," Mordred said with a smile, "But, I don't know how long he will be there, we need to leave now."

"Of course," Yang said before turning to The King of Heroes, "We can stop by on our way to Chaldea."

"It is on the way, so I will allow it," Gilgamesh said with a smirk, "I would not mind seeing this reunion."

"Actually, you two can just drop me off near the town," Mordred said, causing both to looked back to her, "This is something I need to do alone." She then looked over to Yang, "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I understand." Yang said before she looked to Gilgamesh, "Can you call Nobu, give us a minute?" She said with him nodding, walking away as he took out his scroll. Yang then looked back to Mordred, "Hey…I know I did not ask you… but did you find out anything about my mom?" She said with Mordred noticed a weak look in her eyes, "Did Junior say anything about her?" Yang asked, but Mordred broke eye contact, "…Mor?"

"…He said…" Mordred said before she looked back at Yang, "…That you should stay away from her."

"...Well, that's not the first time someone has told me that." Yang said with a slight giggle, but Mordred remained slightly saddened, "What's wrong."

"…How long have you been looking for your mother?" Mordred asked, "Is it longer than I have been looking for my father?"

"What does that matter?" Yang inquired, but Mordred remained silent, causing the blond berserker to sigh, "I guess it's been a while now," She then looked down at the ground, her smile fading, "…When I was little, I got my first clue to where she was. Or rather, what I thought was a clue, but turned out to be nothing. I guess ever since then I have been looking for her, bit by bit with what I could find."

"Yang…" Mordred asked.

"What? We're both in the same boat here." Yang responded, "We want to find the parent that left us."

"And if you find yours," Mordred asked, "How will she act when she sees you?"

"Are you…implying that my own mother would try to hurt me? After I have spent so long to find her?" Yang responded her voice slightly enraged, "I know she's not the nicest person, based on my uncles' stories. But, my father loved her, and she must have loved me."

"Must have?" Mordred commented, causing Yang to go silent, "Yang…do you think your mother didn't love you."

"I mean if she did…" Yang responded as her voice turned weak, "…why did she leave my family?" Yang then placed her right hand to her eyes, wiping something away, "That what I want to know, and as soon as I do…"

"…Yang?" Mordred asked, "do what?"

"That's the thing." Yang said with a slight smile, "I don't know what I will do, because I don't know what I'll get as an answer. It could be anything?" Yang said as Mordred had a look of confusion, the blond berserkers smile fading, "But there are some answers that make me feel…I just want to know, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Mordred responded, "…If she told you she didn't have a choice, would you believe her?"

"…No," Yang responded, "When it involves someone you love, you always have a choice." The blond berserker then looked back to Mordred, whose eyes were melancholy towards her roommate. In a moment of silences, Yang hugged Mordred as Mordred hugged her back.

Suddenly, Gilgamesh walked over, "I don't mean to break up this tender moment," He said as he held up his Scroll, "But that idiot left this message on my scroll." He then pressed play on his voicemails.

"…Hey Gil," Nobu said as gunshots were heard in the background. Mordred and Yang let go of one other to listen closely, "Listen, I might be a little late to the rendezvous point, but only by like five minutes." She said before a louder gunshot was heard, "Ten minutes, tops." The ground then heard a volley of gunshots unlike before, "I just need to get some payback against a guy WHO SHOT MY HAT!" They heard her yell before a louder gunshot, "AND BURNT MY COMIC BOOK!" They then heard what sounded like a large metal object crashing onto the ground, "…Anyway, don't leave without me okay?" She said in a calm voice before laughing maniacally as the message ended.

"…Yeah, that doesn't sound good." Yang comment, "And was it just me, or did she sound a little-"

"Berserk," Mordred finished her roommates' sentence, "I think I remember she mentions she was doing the class change process while we worked on an old car, but that she was trying to take precautions, so she wouldn't lose her mind as a berserker."

"Well, they seemed to have failed her now," Gilgamesh said as he put his scroll away, "If she kills someone from this kingdom, the results to follow would be a war."

"That sounds even worse," Yang responded, "Where is Nobu?" Suddenly, the group heard a gunshot in the far-off distance. They looked to the sky to see red beams of energy appearing and disappearing, "Well, I think I answered my own question." Yang said as she quickly got on her Bumblebee, "If I had to guess, Nobu is making a light show at the docks." Yang said as she started the engine, "That place has had some bad company lately." Mordred sat behind Yang as Gilgamesh started his own machine. The group then speed off into the distance at high speed.

Roman.

At the docks, Roman ran for his life as his breathing was sporadic. He turned to see Nobu shot into the air once with a sadistic smile. The Grimm Archer then aimed at Roman, firing directly at him. At the last second, Roman dived behind a stone barricaded, but the shot graced his right arm. He clenched his arm in pain before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a scroll. Quickly, he made a call.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Nobu said as she aimed at the stone barricade, "Not man enough to face me?"

"I don't care if they're all tired, send everyone you can." Roman demanded over the scroll, trying to keep his voice down, "And bring a couple of those paladins we stole from Atlas. NOW!" He said before a red beam shoot pieced through the stone barricade, inches from his face.

"Hey!" Nobu shouted, "You're pissing me off hiding back there." She then looked up to see a carter suspended by a crane, causing her to grin. She shot the crane's hook attachment, causing the carter to fall directly over the stone barricade, Roman looked up in panic before jumping out of the way, nearly escaping getting squished. He then continued to run away as Nobu had a sadistic smirk.

 _Meanwhile._

Yang, Mordred, and Gilgamesh faced down the highways towards their destination. As they rode, the blond berserker looked up to see three large airships heading for the docks, "This is bad," She said she as she looked at the side of the airships, seeing a red beast symbol with claw marks, "Those may not be the military, but it's the next worse thing." She then slight smiled as she noticed they were heading the same direction, "At least we know this is the right way." She then turned to Gilgamesh, "Hey Goldie, when we see her, I have a plan." She shouted with him listening.

Back at the docks, Roman continued to run until his breathing became sporadic, he then turned to see Nobu aiming at him with her rifle, while all the rifles around her aimed in the same direction. Suddenly, they all fired in unison. Roman gritted his teeth as he felt this was the end. Suddenly, a large paladin landed in between him and the blasts, blocking the shots. Roman looked up to see the reinforcement he called, the three airships landed behind him. One had its door already open and was empty, another opened with a second paladin walking out. The third opened with near three dozen white fang grunts running out, weapons in hand. Roman began to laugh as he caught his breath, "Well, Psycho Red, looks like you didn't kill me fast enough."

"You think this is enough to stop me?" Nobu said with a laugh, "I'm not even trying and I'm still confident I can waste all of you." She said a sadistic smile on her face, "But if you want, I can end this quickly with a little trick I was saving for a certain ice queen." She said as her body violently radiated as red aura, causing the white fang grunts and Roman to have a look of panic, "Now, let me ask you, who here is afraid of-" Suddenly, she heard a speeding motorcycle to her right. She turned to see Gilgamesh racing towards her at high speed, jumping off at the last second, "Wha-!" She said right before the Gilgil machine collided with her gut, causing the two to crash into a shipment of oil drums, which collapsed over the Grimm Archer.

As Gilgamesh picked himself up and dusted himself off, Yang and Mordred pulled up next to him, "Remind me again why it had to be my motorcycle that was used to subdue her?"

"Come on, I just got mine back." Yang commented as they got off her bike, "Plus, it worked."

"Hey!" Roman called out to the group, "What is going on here!?"

"Oh, wait minute." Yang said as she looked over to Roman, "Hey, I think you met my sister once or twice before." She said with him having a look of confusion, "You know: short, wears a cape, has a red scythe."

"You mean Red!" Roman responded in disbelief, "She's your sister!?"

"Her name is Ruby," Yang corrected, "And that black cat faunus that you met, that's my teammate." She then pointed to Mordred, "This my roommate," She then pointed to Gilgamesh, "And this my…I guess that that's still up for debate." She said with Gilgamesh raising an eyebrow.

"…" Roman stared as he looked at the three, "…Kill them all." He ordered in a cold voiced before walking towards an empty airship, "I am getting really tired of this crap." He said to himself before getting inside, "I need a vacation."

"Well, that could have gone better." Mordred said she saw the white fang grunt raise their weapons, "What now?"

"Simple, we beat the crap out of them, no killing. Then, we carry Nobu out while the police clean up the mess. We take Gilgamesh's throne back to Chaldea with nobody none the wiser." Yang said as she got ready to fight. Suddenly the barrels atop Nobu exploded, with the Grimm Archer screaming as she emerged from the flames, "…Okay, quick amendment." Yang responded, "I'll take care of that little berserk, while you two deal with the White Fang. Then, we carry Nobu out while the police clean up the mess. We take Gilgamesh's throne back to Chaldea with nobody none the wiser." She then started to walk towards Nobu as Mordred and Gilgamesh nodded, "Man, I give Ruby credit, this team leader stuff is exhausting."

Mordred and Gilgamesh stood casually as the White Fang grunts surrounded them, one of the two paladins heading towards them, "Hey, King of Heroes." Mordred said with a smirk, "Up for a little game?"

"As long as the game is whoever can defeat the most mongrels wins." He responded with her cracking her knuckles, causing him to grin as he pushed his hair back, "Then I accept, Son of the King of Knights." Mordred then punched her left palm with her right fist as Gilgamesh snapped his fingers. At the same time, their armor appeared on them, leaving the grunts at a slight gasp. The paladin then reeled back its right fist before swinging it toward the two.

However, Mordred caught the fist in her right hand as a red lighting appeared around her. She then reeled back her left fist before punching the robotic arm, turning it into scrap metal on impact. The Paladin took a step back as it tried to recover, but it then looked up as it was a golden light. Suddenly, two high-speed spears pieced through the paladin's last defenses pinning it to the ground. The grunts then looked back in terror as the light vortex was near Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Mordred then had a confident smile as they looked to the others.

The White Fang Grunt then opened fire on the two. Gilgamesh jumped high into the air to dodge. While Mordred remained still, her helmet forming on her head. The rounds fired did no damage to her armor as the prideful knight rushed one of the grunts. She quickly grabbed his gun with her right hand before punching him in the face, knocking him out. She then threw the gun to the White Fang member to her right, hitting him in the right knee. Mordred then rushed him like a bull, shoulder checking him into another grunt. Once Mordred had made a casual stance, another White Fang grunt hit her in the back of the head, using his gun as a bat. However, it had little effect, as Mordred slowly turned to him. Before he could defend, Mordred kicked him in the gut, causing him to drop his weapon and recoil in pain, his arms around his stomach. The prideful knight then raised her right fist over her head before having it come crashing down on the back of her opponent's skull. As he fell to the ground, she turned to the other grunts, who looked at her in dread.

Gilgamesh landed a few feet behind the White Fang member, a yellow vortex appearing to his right. he then reaches into it, pulling out a massive grey weapon, appearing like a spear and a drill with a blunt end. He then rushed a grunt, the dull end of the weapon collided with the opponent's chest. Gilgamesh then had a sadistic smile as he twohanded the weapon, angling it upward, carrying the person with him. The weapon then began to spin, radiating a wind that picked up nearby grunts as if they were caught in a mini cyclone. Gilgamesh laughed as he heard the grunts screaming and bones breaking. He then lowered his weapon, causing the White Fang members to fall to the ground.

From the airship, Roman looked out with a line of sweat coming from his face, "…I really need a vacation." He said before he signaled the pilot to take off.

In the distance, Nobu looked up to see the airship with Roman leaving, "HEY!" she called to him, "Get back here." Then reacted one of her rifles and aimed at the airship. However, Yang punched the rifle out of her hands, causing her to glare at her as the new focus of her anger.

"Calm down!" Yang said, "When we came here, it wasn't to spark a war over some petty stuff."

"Petty stuff!?" Nobu responded, "I loved that hat!" She then had her hands on her hips as she looked at the blond berserker, "You know for a fact we would be in reveres rolls if he cut off a chunk of your hair."

"…That's not the point right now." Yang said as she looked at Nobu, "Look, we have to get back before it's too late." She then blinked her eyes causing them to turn red, "Even if I have to knock you out to do so."

"You can try," Nobu said as she smirked, flaring her red eyes back up at Yang.

"Yikes, I'd begin to see with Wiess means about her." Yang though right before Nobu created another rifle and aimed her gun at the blond berserker's face. With a look of panic in her eyes, Yang ducked a shot before tackling Nobu, bringing her to the ground and knocking the rifle out of her hand, "Knock it off already!" Nobu smirked as she created another rifle, this time floating to the right of Yang's head. Yang pulled back her body to avoid the headshot, but Nobu used this opportunity to kick her in the gut, sending her off her body.

As Yang recovered, she noticed Nobu talking an odd stance, "Noobuu," Her arms were reeled back to her left side. While her palm was flat, the fingers were slightly bent and her wrist touching, "Naagaaa," Suddenly, a fireball glowed in her hands that soon spread over her whole body, "HAAA!" She said before thrusting her arms forward, unleashing a blast wave of fire towards her opponent.

Yang watched in shock at the attack came towards her. she held up her arms in a blocking stance right before the attack connected. Nobu smiled as she saw the explosion, smoke covering the area in front of her. However, Nobu's smile faded as she saw a yellow light radiate. As the smoke cleared, Yang stood where she was before the blast. While her clothes were slightly singed, her hair glowed in the firefly yellow aura. She lowered her arms as she glared a Nobu, "Since when could you do that?"

"Not sure, it just came to me right now as something cool." Nobu said as she had her hands on her hips, "Was it?" She said in a smug voice, raising her head and closing her eyes. After a moment of silence. She opened her eyes in anger. However, she soon had a look of panic as Yang was right in front of her, already in mid-swing with her right arm. She punched Nobu in the right side of her face, sending her flying back a few meters before sliding on the ground. Nobu then pushed herself up, wiping the blood off her mouth with her right hand, "You're making a big mistake." Nobu said as she stood up, her red hair glowing as she had a sadistic smile, "Red is on a whole different level than yellow." She said with Yang looking befuddled understanding.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh and Mordred finished off the last of the White Fang members. Both stood in a casual stance as they looked at the unconscious grunts, "That was…uneventful." Mordred responded as she looked at them, "These guys are all untrained, no challenge what so ever."

"Agreed," Gilgamesh said before he had a smug smile, "But I still won our little game."

"What!?" Mordred shouted back, "I totally had more KO's than you." She said with the King of Heroes smirking back. The two then turned to hear mechanical footsteps, seeing the other Paladin in front of them, "Oh yeah, I forget there were two." Mordred said before she smirked, "This will decide it." She said before rushing towards the last opponent. Gilgamesh smirked as he created a couple of gates near him.

The Paladin then stopped moving, suddenly firing a barrage of missiles towards Mordred. However, Mordred quickly swarmed her Clarent in her hands. Just as the missiles would have hit her, she swung her sword against them, causing an explosion of smoke. The smoke carried over to were Gilgamesh was, shrouding him and halting his attack.

The grunt in the Paladin scanned the area for the prideful night but could not locate her. He then heard a clanking sound above him, causing a moment of confusion. Suddenly, Clarent was lunged hallway through the cockpit, near inches from his face. Atop the Paladin was Mordred, who grinned as she plunged the sword in deeper.

However, she heard an explosion to her right. She looked to see Yang fighting Nobu in a fiery bout. The two were in an armlock as a ring of fire surrounded them. Suddenly, Yang reeled back her right knee before thrusting it into Nobu's face. She then let go of her as the Grimm archer flew out of the ring. Yang then reeled back her right arm as she called her Ember Celica. At that moment, Nobu grinned towards Yang, creating a rifle in her hand before quick-firing it. Yang knew she was not able to dodge, so she called her other Ember Celica in her left hand, blocking the shot with that. In the process, she found herself in a staggered state. Nobu landed on the ground and rushed the blond berserker.

Mordred gritted her teeth as her mind went through any possible plan. Suddenly, she had an idea, "Yang, catch!" She pulled out her Clarent from the Paladin and threw it towards her roommate. Yang looked to see the blade flying towards her, reaching for it as Nobu was closing in. She grabbed it with her right hand as Nobu passed over the ring of fire. While Nobu had an eager expression on her face as she was about to land her hit, that soon faded as she looked up. Yang swung down with the flat of the blade smacking into Nobu's skull. The force of the impact made Nobu hit the ground in an instant, the shockwave putting out the fire. Yang looked down to see Nobu groan in pain, her red hair fading back into the black color.

Yang sighed before turning to Mordred waving with Clarent. Mordred smiled in response, but unknown to her, the Paladin she was standing on was about to grab her with its right arm. Just as its mechanical fingers were about to grab her, a projectile destroyed the arm. Mordred turned to see that it was Gilgamesh doing, with a smirk on his face. The King of Heroes then unleashed three more spears from his gate towards the Paladin. One destroyed the other arms, the other the right leg. The third spear imbeds in the cockpit again, with the White Fang Grunt leaning back in terror as the tip was no more than an inch from his mask. As it was leaning from being off balance, Mordred jumped off as it fell on its back. She then recalled her armor as Gilgamesh did the same walking over with a smirk on his face, "…I still could have handled that." She said as he had a slight chuckle. Mordred then looked over to see Yang caring Nobu on her back. The blond berserker then tossed back her roommate's Noble Phantasm, "Thanks" Mordred said as she caught it.

"Great job team," Yang said as she looked over to see all the White Fang members unconscious. She then police sirens in the distance, "I think that's our cue to leave." She said as she walked over to her Bumblebee.

"Need I remind you that we only have one bike now." Gilgamesh pointed out as they looked to the burning pile where his motorcycle resided.

"Oh…I didn't think of that." Yang said as she heard the sirens get closer.

Suddenly, Mordred looked over to one of the airships left behind by the White Fang members, "Come on, we can take that." Mordred said she ran toward the airship. Yang and Gilgamesh follow. Mordred jumped in and quickly got to the pilot seat. Yang threw Nobu on before helping Gilgamesh put her Bumblebee in. As he closed the doors, Yang checked in on her roommate, "Don't worry, I can fly this thing." She said as she pressed buttons before grabbing the throttle, "After all, I have Riding Skill B." She then pulled back as the airship quickly ascended. Both Yang and Gilgamesh lost their balance for a second before recovering. Gilgamesh looked out a glass window to see then leaving the docks just as the police arrived. He then began to laugh as they got away.

A few minutes later, Mordred landed the airship near Vimana. The group jumped out as Yang looked at her scroll, "Look at that, we're still right on time." She said before putting her scroll away, turning back to the airship, "…We can just leave this here." She said before turning back to the Vimana, boarding it with the rest of her team, "Let's get back to Apocrypha." She said as Gilgamesh sat down on the throne, snapping his fingers. Vimana then began to ascend before blasting off into the sky.

 _Meanwhile._

In the Chaldea dorms, Cleo laid asleep in her bed. Suddenly, she heard a buzzing sound. Upon reluctantly opening her tired eyes, she noticed her scroll going off on her nightstand. As she opened it, she realized she had a new voice mail from her teammate. She then pressed play, "Hey Cleo, it's Musashi. I know its late, but I'm kind of stuck in the kingdom of Vale." Cleo heard on the voicemail as she was too tired to change her expression, "…Don't ask how or why I am here but know that I'm all good and I'll be just taking a few weeks off school. I guess this is my little exchange program." Musashi said with a laugh, but Cleo was too tired, "Anyway, tell the rest of the team for me? …Thanks, see you!" The voice mail then ended with Cleo closing her scroll.

"…. I'll deal with this in the morning," Cleo said as she rolled back in her covers.

 _Yang._

On the east side of Apocrypha, Vimana landed in the middle of an empty road. Mordred jumped out first as she looked at her scroll, seeing a map of the region, "Okay, the town Junior talked about must be the one a couple of miles from here." She then put her scroll away, turning back to Gilgamesh, "Thanks for dropping me off here, any closer and my Father might recognize your throne."

"Understood," Gilgamesh responded as changed back to is black biker attire, "When you run into your father, tell him the King of Heroes says hello." He said with a grin, Mordred responding in kind.

Yang then jumped down near her roommate, her Bumblebee over her shoulders, "Still, it's a bit of a walk." Yang said as she placed the motorcycle down. She then reached into her pocket and took out the keys, tossing them to Mordred, "Take good care of her?"

"Are you sure?" Mordred asked as she looked at the keys.

Suddenly, Yang hugged Mordred, "I'm sure." She said as she closed her eyes, "Go find your father." She said as Mordred hugged her back. After a moment, the two let go of one other. Mordred got on the Bumblebee as she started it. One more time she looked back at the two, who waved their goodbyes. Mordred then smiled before turning to the road ahead, starting the engine as she rode off the town in the east.

"There she goes." Gilgamesh said as he jumped down to stand next to Yang, "You're okay with her taking one of your treasures."

"Hey, like she said, she has Riding Skill B." Yang said with a smile before patting him on the back, "Sorry about your Gilgil Machine. I tell you what, I'll buy us some coffee when we get back to Chaldea." She then started to walk towards the Vimana, but stopped as she noticed Gilgamesh still standing where he was, "What is it?"

"Our conversation from before," he responded as he turned to her, "It still isn't over."

"Oh," Yang said as she crossed her arms, "You have something more to say?"

"I do," he responded, "From what I overheard, you are looking for a lost parent in the same vein as the Son of the King of Knight's is."

"Eavesdropping isn't making you look good right now," Yang commented.

"Regardless, it would seem you have been searching for your mother for a long time." The King of Heroes said with a grin, "What would you say if I told you I wanted to help in your quest." He said with Yang as a loss for a second, "Does that prove I am serious?"

"I..." Yang said in slight shock, "How would you help me with something like that?"

"Look behind you." Gilgamesh said as he pointed to his Vimana, "You know firsthand how fast my throne is. We can search the entire planet in a matter of weeks." He then started to walk towards Yang, "And if it was your desire, we could leave right now."

"You know, I can tell when someone is trying to get one over on me." Yang said as she uncrossed her arms, "But, you're serious, aren't you?" She said with him nodding, "What do you hope to gain in finding my mother?"

"I simply want to know," Gilgamesh said as he stood in front of Yang, "Why anyone would be crazy enough to let you go." He said with Yang grinning as she looks at him. He then put his hands on her waists as she pulled him closer. Both then closed their eyes as their lips made contact, exchanging saliva under the moonlit night.

After a few seconds, the two pulled away from one another, each smiling as they looked into each other eyes, "Well, you're a smoother talker than I gave you credit for." Yang said before taking a step back, turning back to face Vimana, "As cool as it would be to leave right now on this thing, I've my sister and friends expecting to see me next morning." She then turned back to Gilgamesh with a smirk, "But if we do like we did tonight, doing so a couple nights a week. We explore some leads I got, ones I couldn't travel to before." She then had a confident smile on her face, "We could find her in no time."

"It's a date then." Gilgamesh said as he and Yang had a slight giggle, "We should head back before anyone notices." He said before jumping back on the Vimana, looking over to see Nobu's unconscious body, "And we still need to put her back like we did that mongrel."

"Yep, just one last question." Yang said as she got on the Vimana with Gilgamesh turning to her, "Does this make me the Queen of Heroines now?" She said with the two sharing a laugh before the throne took off back to Chaldea.

 **AN: There you go, the group is now out of Vale. While Nobu gets to worst end of the stick here, she still shows off how dangerous she is, (While also making a few DBZ references). Yang and Mordred have some heartfelt moments. Then Gilgamesh proves his dedication to get what he wants, but this time it's a bit less selfish as he gets the girl. Now Mordred heads towards her Father and will see just how well that goes in the next chapter. Also, Musashi is stuck in Vale…It may seem like that will be a big issue, but not really for the context of this story.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	51. Chapter 49 - Father

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is the big one. Not only does this bring back a certain King, but the ending has a few huge revelations. There are things I don't see everyone liking, but I do think it is a cool twist and reveal. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 49 – Father**

 _Mordred._

 _Six years ago._

In the middle of a clearing the forest at noon, a young Mordred held onto a thin steel knife. She wore dark red long sleeve top over a black undershirt and black shorts. Her hair was down and long. She held her weapon in her right hand as she looked at her opponent. He was a young boy with blond hair, wearing a white coat over a blue t-shirt and overly designer shorts, "I don't understand why you still want to fight." The boy said in a condescending tone as he placed his right hand on his head, "You know you can't beat me, Mongrel."

"Shut up Gil!" Mordred yelled back, "I'm going to make you pay for what you said about my father!" She said before rushing Gil. Suddenly, the smug boy grinned as numerous yellow vortexes appeared near him. Shooting out of each were spearheads attached to chains. Mordred jumped back to avoid the weapons, which embedded into the ground.

"You don't realize how powerful I am." Gil responded, "This isn't even one of my treasures, just one a friend lent it to me to deal with you."

"You have a friend?" Mordred responded with a grin, causing Gil to scowl. He then snapped his fingers as more portals appeared. Mordred held her knife as she readied for the next attack. However, he stopped as he looked to his right. The vortexes vanishing as Mordred saw who was approaching them, "Father…" Mordred said as Arturia walked out of the forest into the clearing.

"The two of you should not be out here." Arturia said as she walked to them, "There are Grimm in the area."

"Father, I am strong enough to take on some mindless beast," Mordred responded as she looked up to her father. She then looked over to Gil, "Besides, he was insulting you behind your back. Saying you being a girl didn't make you a king anymore."

"It's true." Gil responded, "How can you be a king if you aren't a-" However, he cut himself off upon Arturia glaring at him.

"Gilgamesh, my title is the King of Knight, regardless of my gender." She said with him growing silent, "You should learn to respect that title if you hope to gain one for yourself one day." She said with him gritting his teeth. Arturia then looked back to Mordred, "And you, do you really think you are strong enough at your current skill level?" She said with the young Mordred nodding, "Then prove it." The King of Knights said as she noticed a rocking in the middle of the clearing. She walked over and raised her right hand. as she made a grip, she called an invisible weapon. Suddenly, a golden light illuminated the weapon, revealing Excalibur. Gil and Mordred looked at the weapon in amazement. Arturia then looked at the stone, plunging the sword into it no more than an inch, "Can you pull out my sword before dawn?" Arturia said as she turned back to Mordred.

Mordred had a line of sweat come down her face as she walked over to the sword in the stone. As she reached for it, her hand trembled. She then looked up to Arturia, who looked down at her, casing Mordred to grit her teeth. She then sheathed her knife before she reached for the handle of Excalibur, grabbing it, and gave one hard pull. However, the sword did not move. She tried to pull again, but nothing happened. She then took a breath, before pulling again, but the same retest occurred. Mordred then looked up at her father, but she was not there. She looked to see Arturia walking away, heading back into the forest. She looked to her father in depression before turning back to the sword in the stone, trying to pull it out again.

Gil watched for a few minutes until he sighed, "You can't do it, just give up." He said before walking back through the forest. As he walked away, he grinned to himself, "She may not be able to, but I am confident I can. After she has given up, I will return, and turn that sword into one for my collection of treasures." He then laughed as he walked.

In the middle of the night, Gil walked through the forest as he made his way back to the clearing he had a smile on his face, "She must have given up by now." He said to himself as he was able to see the stone in the distance. However, his expression changed to one of shock.

While the sword was still there, so was Mordred. The palms of her hands covered in blisters and bleeding, her arms hung limply to her sides. Her breathing was heavy as she glared at her reflection in the steel, "Come on, one more time." She said to herself as she leaned in, tilting her head as she bit the handle with her teeth. Mordred then began to pull up, closing her eyes in pain.

Gil looked in astonishment as he stopped walking, "She hasn't left." He said to himself as he hid in the shadows, "It must have nine hours ago since she stared." He said as she saw her scream through her teeth as she pulled. Despite all her effort, the sword refused to move. Suddenly, Mordred lost consciousness as she fell unto the ground. Gil did not know what to do next, but he noticed someone else emerging from the forest. It was the King of Knights, walking over to Mordred. She picked her up, holding her in her right arm. She then took her left hand and pulled out the sword effortlessly. She then recalled the sword and began to walk back to the forest.

Gil looked on before turning around walking away from the clearing, "The Son of the King of Knights." He said before grinning, "Despite her tone, her tenacity is entertaining." He said as he made his way through the forest at night.

 _Present time._

Mordred arrives into the east town entrance road. As she parked Bumblebee, she noticed the emptiness of the streets as she the sun just started to rise, "Figures nothing is open yet. Everyone must still be asleep." She said before taking out her scroll, "So, I guess I'll check the hotels." She then looked up a directory map of the town. However, she had a tired look as she saw a shockingly long list of location, "Which one is it?" she said before she felt her stomach growl. Suddenly, she had an idea. She filtered the list, looking at one hotel. She then quickly looked around and saw a hotel with the name, The Early Bird, "This one serves breakfast before anyone else does." She said as she put her scroll away, "If my father still has the same habits, this is where she is."

Mordred then walked up to the hotel, entering to see a half-asleep late-teen girl at the checking counter. The prideful knight walked up to the counter, pressing the bell, "Oh!" The check-in girl said as she partly woke up, "Hello, welcome to The Early Bird." She said with a smile, "Would you like a room? It comes with a ticket for the breakfast buffet. We start serving in just a few minutes."

"Actually, I was wondering if you know if someone checked in." Mordred responded, "Tall, dark wavy hair, had an ugly mole on his face."

"Oh, him…" The check-in girl said as she began to blush, causing Mordred to have a looking annoyance, "Well, he did check in. But I can't tell you his room unless you had been given consent or are a relative." She then tilted her head as she looked at Mordred, "But, you do look a lot like that woman he was with."

"That my fa-…Mo...ther." Mordred said, speaking as if the verbal declaration was casing her pain, "I'm her dau…ght…er." She said talking a sigh right afterward.

"Oh, okay." The check-in girl said as she reached under the counter, pulling out a key with a letter and number on it, "The two are is in room D5. And... say high to that guy for me."

Mordred looked down at the key and picked it up, "Thank you." She then ran up the staircase, "I'm I glad that mole thingy never works on me." She thought to herself. Mordred made it to the floor the with D marked rooms. She then looked down the hall, spotting the room with 5 next to it. As she walked up to the door her heart began to race with each step. Her breathing became heavy as she looked at the door handle, moving the key in her hand to it. However, she stopped herself upon noticing how shaky her hand was, "Come on… you're so close." Mordred said to herself as she held her hand steady with her other hand. She placed the key in the lock, making a slight sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the door opened, but Mordred was at a loss as she was not the one who did. She lost her grip on the key, looking at eye level, and her eyes widened in shock. At the other end of the door was Arturia, wearing a white-collar long sleeve shirt, a blue skirt, and black stockings. She looked to a door on the inside of the room, "Diarmuid, I am heading to the buffet now." She said before looking forward, discovering the person in the doorway. However, her expression changed to one of disbelief at who it was, "Mordred…" Arturia said in subdued, yet astonished voice.

"Father…" Mordred responded in kind, but tears started to form in her eyes, "…I-"

Suddenly, the door inside the room opened. Emerging was Diarmuid, who looked as if he was drying her hair. A towel was around his waist as his up body remained exposed, showing off his still wet abs, "Sorry, I couldn't hear you with the shower on." He said before lowering the towel, "What did you say Ar-" He then noticed the person in the doorway, whose expression soon changed to one of rage, "Mordred! How did you-"

"You bastard!" She declared as she called her Clarent. She swung right from the handsome lancer. However, her blade was stopped by something that she could not see. She then looked to the king of Knights, who took up a stance as if she was holding a sword, "This is why you left!?" Mordred shouted at her Father, pointing at Diarmuid's abs.

"Calm down Mordred!" Arturia said before pushing Mordred back, her colliding with the opposite wall, "You have to stop jumping to conclusions like this." She said as Mordred reposed her weapon, causing her to respond in kind. Suddenly, Arturia heard the doors next to her start to open, causing her to recall her weapon before pulling Mordred into her room. She shut the door just as the other doors began to open, with the other residence looking out in confusion.

Inside, Mordred glared at her father in anger. However, it soon turned to confusion as she noticed Arturia's weak breathing as the sword slightly trembled in her hands.

A few minutes later.

In the dining area, Mordred sat across Arturia at a table next to the window, each with a cup of water in front of them. The prideful knight had her arms crossed as she glared at her father. The King of Knights sighed as she had her hands on her lap, "I asked Diarmuid to do a perimeter check. Giving us some time to talk."

"You two seem pretty close," Mordred responded in a vindictive voice, "Closer than I remember."

"Mordred, it is not what you think." Arturia responded, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Diarmuid has been my comrade for a long time. When I needed his help, he offered without hesitation. And this is an issue I would like to keep secret."

"And what secret is this?" Mordred questioned as her father lowered her hand, "For that matter, where have you been for the last year!?"

"…" Arturia responded as Mordred knew she was not trying to answer.

"…Why can't you tell me?" Mordred asked, her voice become more hostile, "You never could trust me with anything. I never could live up to your expectation for what it means to be called a King of Knights."

"Mordred-" Arturia said, but Mordred cut her off.

"You always call me Mordred, never your son!" Mordred declared with the two entering an awkward silence.

Suddenly, the two noticed the check-in girl standing near the table, a small notebook in hand, "Ah…I know you two are having an important conversating." She said in an uneasy voice, trying to maintain a smile, "But, I can bring over some food."

"Thank you," Arturia responded in a calm tone, "I would like a three stack of pancakes, four sausage links, two strips of bacon, two pieces of toast, and a glass of orange juice."

"Same for me." Mordred responded with Arturia glaring back at her, "What, I'm hungry too. You would not believe what I went through last night."

"Ah, okay." The check-in girl said before walking away.

"Mordred," Arturia resumed their conversation, but Mordred still glared at her, "I understand you are angry with me, hiding the truth of what you are for so long." Arturia she then had a narrow gaze as she looked at her, "But as you know, you are not my child. You are a homunculus created from the class change malfunction that resulted in my gender changing to what I am now."

"You still gave birth to me and held me in your arms when I was a baby." Mordred responded, "But as soon as I said I wanted to be a heroic spirit like you, a knight like you, that's when you distanced yourself from me. Treating me like I was nothing to you."

"…" Arturia responded in silences as Mordred gritted her teeth, "…How are the other members of the Team Round Table."

Mordred sided before she responded, "Well, Gawain is the same, just playing repairman to a fishing town lately. Merlin was promoted to the headmaster's advisory committee." She then had a look of sadness as she continued, "But Guinevere went missing the same time you did." She said with Arturia having a look of horror, "And Lancelot, he chose to become a berserker because of it."

"What!?" The King of Knights responded, "I-"

"You didn't know, you missed a lot in a year." Mordred finished her sentence, "At least, I can mark off, 'looking for Guinevere' as the reason you left." She said with Arturia gritting her teeth, "So, one more time, why did you leave."

"…Fine," Arturia responded with a sigh, "I have been looking for a way to change myself back to my original gender." She said with a serious look as Mordred listened, "It is not an operation I am looking for, but to return to the person I once was." The King of Knights then placed her right hand on her chest, "I didn't realize it at first, but this body cannot continue like this." She then looked at her hands, "You noticed, but I cannot hold Excalibur with the mental focus I could before." She then looked directly at Mordred, "And if I were to invoke its true power, I fear it would be the last thing I ever do. For me to continue to defend this land, I need my old body back." A moment of silence fell between the two as Mordred grit her teeth, but this time not in anger.

"…I could have told you that before you left. Being the king you are, it was going to get yourself killed eventually." Mordred spoke up, "You have already done so much already to protect this land." Arturia looked at Mordred, whose eyes looked like they were holding back tears, "So, just stop. You can retire, just focus on teaching." Mordred said as a single tear rolled down her face, "Leave protecting Apocrypha to me."

"You are not ready." Arturia responded coldly, "You still have not matured."

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!?" Mordred shouted back, "You have been gone for a year. I have been training every day to be stronger than the time we fought last. If we were to battle right now, I would-"

"If we were to battle right now," Arturia responded with a glare, "Neither one of us would walk away alive." She said with Mordred going quite, gritting her teeth, "You still do not know the meaning of the word King. The weight that person holds when they choose that as their title." A moment of silences passed as the check-in girl brought over the food they ordered. After she left, Arturia picked up a knife and fork, "There is nothing you can say to change my mind. Let us just eat, and then, part ways."

Mordred stood up as she glared at her father, "I lost my appetite," She then took a step away from the table. Suddenly, she had an idea, "Father, I have an idea of something that will change your mind." She said with Arturia not paying attention as she eats, but Mordred continued, "The Grand Order is coming up very soon. Since you're not at the academy anymore, no one is there to forbid me from entering." Suddenly, Arturia stopped eating, "And when I win, I will make my wish to relinquish your title as King of Knights and make that my new title." Arturia then glared at Mordred who grinned at her, "And, you have to agree to come back. Abandoning this quest of yours."

"And if you lose," Arturia responded.

"Then I abandon my quest," Mordred responded, "Of trying to get my father back." She then pointed to the King of Knights, "Now, on your knight's honor, swear to me to uphold your end of the of the bargain." She said with a slight laugh, "Unless, you don't have any of that left."

"Mordred…" Arturia said as she glared back, "…Okay, if you win, I will return as I am. But if you lose, I will return when I am ready. and we will have a long talk afterward." She said with Mordred starting to walk away, but she stopped once her father spoke back up, "I will be watching your fights." Mordred waited a second before continuing to walk away.

As Mordred walked to the doorway, she ran into Diarmuid, who was wearing a dark green sleeveless trench coat and green pants. She glared at him as he looked at her, "If you let anything happen to her, I'm going to make you pay." She said in a harsh tone.

"I wouldn't blame you," Diarmuid responded, "But you have nothing to worry about." He said with Mordred scoffing before exiting the hotel. As Diarmuid walked into the dining area. He looked out the window to see Mordred getting on Bumblebee, driving off into the distance. The handsome lancer then sat down across from Arturia, who had resumed eating, "You told her a lot of things, Arturia." He said with the King of Knights avoiding eye contact, "But you still haven't told her that truth, have you?" He said, but Arturia just keeps eating, a look of sadness filling her eyes.

 _Arturia._

 _Eighteen years earlier._

"Arthur! Arthur!" Diarmuid shouted as he ran through the forest in the middle of the night, "Where are you!?" Suddenly, he came upon a small clearing into a circular field. At the center was a blond woman in a white shirt and blue baggy pants. She sat on a stone as she looked up at the moon, "Arthur?" Diarmuid said as he slowly approached the girl. As he was a few feet away, the girl turned to him, her eyes red and stressed.

"Hello Diarmuid," The woman responded, a weak smile on her face, "Yes, it's me."

"Arthur…" Diarmuid said as the King of Knights she looked back up at the moon. He then sighed as he sat to her right, looking up as well, "The moon is beautiful tonight."

"Yes, it is." Arthur responded, "The others are looking for me?" She asked with him nodding.

"They said you ran away as soon as they showed you a mirror." He said with a slight laugh, but Arturia did not, causing his voice to get more serious in change, "They told me they don't know what caused the malfunction. But, a lot of your skills seemed to be nullified. They aren't sure yet if you are even a saber class."

"I am." Arthur responded as she held out her right hand, making a grip round something invisible, "I still can call my weapon, I have at least that." She then lowered her hand as the weapon faded away, "…What am I to do?" She asked with him looking to her in silences, "Ever since I was a child, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. No matter how dire a situation seemed." She then held up her hand to the shattered moon, "But, I never thought something like this would happen. What do I do next?"

"Well," Diarmuid said as he looked up at the moon, smiling, "The first thing you can do is choose a new name for yourself." He said with Arthur glaring at her, "I think Arturia sounds nice. It keeps the integrity of who you are." He said with her calming down, "But regardless of your name, or gender, you will always the King of Knights. The person of inspiration for all the people of Apocrypha, defending them from Grimm until your last breath." He then smiled as he turned to her, "That is still the same person I am looking at right now. And the same person I am proud to call my friend."

Arturia giggled as looked at him, "I guess you are right." She said as he stood up, extending his hand to her. She accepted it, she at his face as she began to blush, as if smitten by something.

"Uhh, Arturia?" Diarmuid responded, "Are you ok-" Suddenly, Arturia moved her face towards Diarmuid's, their lips locking. Arturia's eyes closed as his widened in shock. It was then he realized what he said earlier, and he knew what was affecting the King of Knight's mind. She then pushed him over, laying atop him as they continued to exchange saliva. Diarmuid started to push her off himself, however, he could not bring himself to do so. Instead, he held her close as he began to close his eyes.

The next morning, Arturia was in the infirmary. In a room, she sat on a bed as Nightingale looked through a chart, "It would seem most of your skills are back to the level they were in your Saber class."

"Good," Arturia said as she held her stomach, "But, why do I feel sick?" She said with Nightingale having a line of sweat come down her face, "What?"

"…This is a very awkward conversation. Even more than the one regarding your gender change." She said with Arturia having a look of confusion, "You…appear to be pregnant." She said with Arturia's face now turning white, "I know, it's an entirely new issue for you to deal with. One you will have to discuss with Guinevere." Nightingale then looked back at the clipboard, "I don't know how the class change could have resulted in this happening as well."

Arturia looked to the ground in horror, knowing it wasn't the result of the change she had undergone. She then turned to the doorway window, looking to see Diarmuid talking with Gawain. The handsome lancer then looked to the doorway window, seeing Arturia's expression, causing him to have the same realization she did, "… I don't either." Arturia answered Nightingale, a tear running down the King of Knights face.

 _Present time._

Arturia just finished her meal as Diarmuid looked at her, "She should know what she is, Arturia." The handsome lancer responded, "Both of us should have told her a long time ago." He said with Arturia silent, "We both did something a knight shouldn't do." He said as he looked out the window, "…But I don't regret it. As I said, no matter what, you will always be the King of Knights and my friend." He then turned back to Arturia, "But, do you regret it?"

"…No." Arturia responded, "There are a lot of things I regret over the last two decades of my life. But, I will never regret that moment." She said with a small smile, as he did the same. The two then looked out the window into the distance, "I still will do whatever it takes to protect this land, until my last breath. But…if Mordred can prove herself. Then, I will return and tell her the truth, once and for all." Her smile then grew as she looked into the distance, "Maybe then she will be a better king than I."

"You think she can handle that?" Diarmuid said somewhat sarcastically with a grin, "I mean, she is our daughter after all." He then stood up and offered her his hand, "For now, let's continue our quest."

"Thank you Diarmuid," Arturia said as she accepted his hand. He then started to walk out of the dining area but stopped as he noticed Arturia looking at Mordred's uneaten food, a little bit drool on her face, "…I will be with you in a little bit, just give me a second." She said, causing him to have a slight laugh.

As Diarmuid walk past the check-in girl, she smiled and waved at him. However, once he made his way up the stairs, her smile faded. She then took out her scroll and made a call, "…I found her…" she said in a more confident tone than before, "Yes, the King of Knights…"

 _?_

On the other end of the call was a woman with long dirty blond hair, wearing a black dress, sitting before a gigantic black round table, "Good, keep her there for a while." She said in a somewhat excited voice, "I will be there soon." The woman in black said before hanging up. As she put the scroll away, she looked over to the roundtable, "It would appear she was discovered earlier than I thought."

"Are you improvising now?" The woman looked over to see another woman speaking up, one who with hair as pale as her skin. She wore a revealing attire, with a grey mask over the upper half of her face, her yellow eyes glaring through the darkness of the room, "You have planned for the fall of this kingdom for so long, you want to throw it away all to kill your ex-husband a little earlier."

"My plan is to destroy this worthless kingdom, for all it took form my life." Guinevere responded, "But I have waited long enough to kill the King of Knights. I had hopped her own child would have been the one to kill her. But she failed even after I had told her she was a homunculus. That being said," Guinevere said before looking just past the roundtable, seeing a blond man in black armor, a metal mask over his eyes, but a scowl that ringed through the area with an aura of evil, "This will be a more fitting end to the King of Knights."

"Agreed," A male voice from the roundtable responded. The women looked over to see a man with wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and a brown vest over a white shirt, "This alter has been growing stronger for the last seven years," The scientist then looked to the Alter of the King of Knights, who had a scar in the back of his skull, "Thanks you my efforts, you will find him to be very…submissive."

"You forget it was me who created these alters," the group then turned to see a man in a purple robe. His skin was a pale grey, but his hair was a darker shade, and his cold eyes seemed to be looking in opposite directions, "That bacteria was the product of my ingenuity."

"Does that mean you will take credit for that horrible alter that decided to rush our plans." The woman in the mask pointed out, "He was an idiot, based on an idiot. We are lucky he got himself killed when he did."

"And what does that make you, Carmilla?" The cross-eyed man responded with a grin, "Or should I call you, Elizabeth."

"Do not compare me to that fool!" Carmilla responded in rage, "I plan to kill her at the start of our invasion. I am simply deciding if I want to take care of it personally, or with one of my own…products of research."

"Regardless," The brown-haired man spoke up, "We still need more alters before the invasion can begin."

"Oh, don't worry Victor." The cross-eyed man spoke up, "We will get more very soon. And they will be even stronger, once my assassin begins me one of my lost test subjects."

"All three of you have contributed to our common goal." Guinevere spoke up a smile on her face, "And soon, Chaldea will fall, and then the whole kingdom of Apocrypha will be no more." She then stood up and looked over to the Alter of the King of Knights, who responded in kind, "Now then, this marks the beginning of the final phase of our plan." She said before leaving the table, with the Alter Arthur following her, radiating at dark aura around his whole body, "Nothing will stop us."

 **AN: There you go, that is a pretty heavy chapter. I got to show little Mordred and Kidgamesh for a bit, as well as my own version of the sword in the stone. Then, we get to Mordred meeting Arturia, which leads to her goals in the coming Grand Order, as well as the revaluation of the true origin of Mordred's birth. To end it off, we learn the mastermind behind all of this before any of the other characters do. Guinevere, (one of the hardest characters to write because of how little there is for her, but someone I always planned to be the big bad) and her team of Carmilla, Victor Frankenstein, and the cross-eyed man, (You know who he is, I know it is a little out of left field, but his origins will be clearer as the story goes on). We also see that the saber alter that was made seven years ago, theorized in the meeting, has manifested as an Arthur Alter. These last things are character I made for this story, so they might be a little wonky compared to the others at first. I do hope you stick around to see how things develop, because the next morning has even more revelations at hand.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	52. Chapter 50 - The Next Phase

**AN: Hey everyone, we are at the fifty-chapter mark. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement you have given this story. This chapter has a lot of payoffs to established points before, as well as a certain introduction to a certain alter.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 50 – The Next Phase**

 _Mercury._

Walking down the halls of Chaldea were Mercury, Jekyll, and Neo. The pint-sized girl held onto the assassin in glass' hand as they walked, while Mercury had both his hands in his pockets, "You know," Jekyll spoke up, "Neo and I found this nice restaurant in town. If you want, we-"

"I'm not going to be some third wheel." Mercury cut him off.

"I…was actually going to suggest you and Atalanta could join us." Jekyll finished his original sentence, "You know, like a double date." He then looked over to Neo, "We tried it before with Kiyohime and Ren. However, Kiyohime gets a little too competitive." He said with Neo smirking.

"Atalanta and I aren't dating," Mercury corrected, "We both take care for the two kids, occasionally have meals together, go shopping a lot, but we aren't dating." He said as he continued to look forward.

Neo then took out her scroll and typed something. She then showed it Jekyll, "He's so dense." He accidentally read aloud. Mercury turned back with a scowl, "I said nothing." He quickly responded as Neo laughed, but no sound came out.

Mercury sighed before he looked forward. In doing so, he noticed Cinder standing in the middle of the hall, "Oh, what are you doing here?"

"Mercury, I need to talk with you." She said in a serious tone before turning to Jekyll, "I'm sorry, but this a team matter." The assassin in glasses nodded before walking. He then noticed Neo letting go of his hand, smiling to him as she made a settle wave. He waved back in kind before walking away, out of earshot from the team.

"What's so important?" Mercury reiterated.

"You remember how I first found you and Neopolitan."

"Yeah," Mercury responded as he pointed to Neo with his right thumb, "You found both of us through that bartender's weird website. But, the mute here was supposed to be for Roman. That guy said he wanted a bodyguard that wouldn't talk back." He said with Neo making a smug smile, "Then you took her for yourself when you wanted to do this whole transfer mission." He then lowered his hand as he spoke a little less confidently, "Although you didn't go Junior looking for me, you were looking for my father."

"Yes, I was." Cinder said as Mercury had a look of confusion as the reason for this conversation, "Mercury, I recently spoke to Roman, who recently spoke to Junior." She said with Mercury's eye starting to widen as he knew where the conversation was going, "He discovered that Marcus Black, your father, is still alive." She said as his face turned white, his breathing turning heavy, "Not only that, he was last noted to be in this kingdom continue his line of work."

"…Hahaha, good one," Mercury said with a giggle, but a line of sweat ran down his face, "That was a funny joke, have you been hanging around that blondie girl." He said with an uneasy laugh, but Cinder remained steadfast in a stern expression, "You know, there is no way my dad is alive. I killed him, I saw him die, you saw him dead after I burned down the last of old crappy life and bandaged my legs, which I could feel anymore!" Mercury shouted at the end of his sentence before moving towards Cinder grabbing her by the neck, "So don't lie to me and say he is alive! He is dead!" He said as he glared at her, but Cinder remained calm.

"Mercury, I have nothing to gain from lying to you." Cinder said as he gritted his teeth, "…You are afraid. Afraid that he is coming back for you." He then loosed his grip on his leader's neck before looking down. Cinder then looked behind Mercury, seeing Neo with her hidden blade in hand already aimed at the back of the grey-haired assassin's neck. The black-haired archer then shook her head, causing Neo to recall her weapon. Cinder then looked back to Mercury, "I gave you the freedom to do whatever you wanted if you joined me, do with this information what you will." He then took a step back before running away.

 _Neo._

As Mercury ran down the halls, he bumped into Emerald, but he kept moving, "Hey, watch it you-" Emerald said in anger, but suddenly cutting herself off in confusion. She then walked down the halls to meet Neo and Cinder, "Did…did Mercury just run by…crying?"

"He had just learned that his father is alive." Cinder answered.

"What?" Emerald responded, "I thought he was dead, we saw his body after Mercury killed him."

"Apparently, Marcus Black is more resilient than I thought." Cinder said as she crossed her arms, "He could prove a problem to us, wanting revenge on his own son."

"What's Mercury going to do now?" Emerald asked.

"I left that up to him, it isn't in my place to resolve a family matter like this." Cinder responded, "But if he were to do something too rash, I will intervene." She then started to walk away from the two, "I have to go to my classes now."

"I still can't believe it. Mercury must be scared to death." Emerald said to herself before she noticed Neo typing, "What is it?" Neo the turned her scroll around and smiled, "…Nice broach." Emerald read before she realized she was wearing the emerald broach she acquired the other day, "Oh, thank you." She then saw Neo about to walk away, but she stopped her, "Wait, I wanted to ask you something." Emerald as Neo turned to her, "Begin here, at a school like this, around these people." Emerald had a hard as Neo had a look of confusion, "Do you feel…different. About the way you look at things."

Neo changed the orientation of her eye color before taking her right hand, moving the index finger than thumb a centimeter away from one another.

Emerald sighed as new what that meant, suddenly a question appeared in her mind, "Hey, what were you like before you met us?" She asked with Neo taking out her scroll.

She then quickly typed a message and sent it. A second later, Emerald took out her scroll, seeing what Neo sent her. The message read, 'I was Neo.'

"Okay…" Emerald said, not fully understanding what that meant, "Then, who are you right now?" She asked with Neo typing again. After the message was sent, Emerald read it aloud, "I am Neo…" She said before sighing, looking back at Neo smiling at her, "…Okay fine, then who do you want to be by the end of all this." She asked, but thought she knew the answer already. Neo typed and sent her the message. Emerald looked at it, but she had a look of confusion as she had predicted wrong, "Not alone. Not just Neo anymore." Emerald read aloud as she looked at Neo, whose smile was a little weaker as she looked back.

She then looked as Neo opened her mouth as if about to say some. However, she stopped herself and closed her mouth. Going back to typing. As Emerald got the message, she read this on to herself. The message read, "I want to be with someone, who wants to hear me speak."

"Neo…" Emerald as she looked back to the pint-sized girl who still had a weak smile.

"Neo!" The two then looked to see Jekyll walking towards them, "I didn't know if you were done with your team yet." He then looked over to Emerald, "Oh, I didn't see you there. That's a pretty broach."

"Thanks," Emerald commented with a smile, putting her scroll away, "But I think the meeting is over, I have to head to class now."

"Oh, okay." Jekyll responded before turning to Neo, "We should start heading ours as well, don't you th-" Suddenly, Neo leaned in and kissed Jekyll on the lips, cutting him off. The kiss went on for a few seconds before she pulled herself away from him, "Ah…" Jekyll said as he blushed causing Neo to make a slight giggle. Emerald smiled as she walked away from the two, giving them some time alone.

 _Yang._

"You're kidding." Sisigou said to Yang as they walked down the halls, "You found information on Arturia in a night?" He said with Yang nodding, "I've searched longer than most people after she first went missing and have been digging up files the past few of day. But you say Mordred got reliable information in a bar?"

"Well, reliable is only true if she found her father…mother…whichever." Yang commented back, "Look, the reason I am telling you is that I don't know how long she will be gone. I need a professor to cover for her, and since you're her guardian parent."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." The necromancer said as he rubbed his eye under his sunglasses, "I still can't believe it if she was in a town this close all along."

"So…what is Arturia like?" Yang asked.

"She was very …protective of…well, everyone." He responded, "She was one of the most skilled Heroic Spirits of the Kingdom. Some people didn't even think she was human because of how perfect she was."

"Oh," Yang said as her mind went to her red-haired warrior friend form another team, "You know, that kind of reminds me of how people treated Pyrrha back in Vale. I mean, the strongest huntress in training, even our headmaster thought she could do anything."

"Let me guess, at least back in Vale, she hung around only a small group of people despite her popularity." He said with her nodding, wondering how he knew that, "Same thing with the King of Knights. Despite her influence, she only hung around her teammates, her wife when Arthur was still her name, and a former teacher named Diarmuid." He then looked to Yang with a slight smile, "I barely even meet Arturia, but Mordred hung around me when I was trying to get my course off the ground." He then reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. "She was still pretty young, but she was never scared to see me in the catacombs." He then showed Yang his open wallet, seeing a photo a younger Mordred with her hair down, wearing dark red long sleeve top, and smiling as she held a Grimm skull over her head. Next to her was a younger Sisigou, one who did not have the three scars on his face and hair was very short.

"Ah, that's adorable," Yang said as she smiled. However, she noticed a third person in the frame. A young girl around the young Mordred's age. She had a white-collar shirt and had brown hair that went down to her shoulders, her smile was pure and innocent, "Who's that?"

"That was my stepdaughter." Sisigou responded, a weak smile on his face, causing Yang to look at him in knowing what that meant, "She wanted to be a Necromancer like me." Suddenly, his smile faded, "But, I didn't realize her overexerting herself in our training. One day she fell asleep, and never woke." He then closed his wallet and put it back in his pocket, "But she still had that same smile, so I like to think she passed on peaceful. But, it was still at far too young of an age."

"Does Mor know?" Yang asked, with him nodding, "…Do you know if Arturia cared about Mor, like how you cared about your stepdaughter?"

"Like I said, I didn't know the King of Knights that well." Sisigou responded, "But, when Mordred wasn't looking, Arturia watched over her from time to time." He then had a slight giggle as he continued, "She told me one time that she watched Mordred try to pull her sword Excalibur out of a stone in the forest for hours. Staying out her sight as she made sure no Grimm could disturb her. Eventually, she brought her to me to heal her bloody hands because of how late it was. Come to think of it, that was the first time I met them both." He then looked to her with a smile, "So if you want my opinion, I think she did care, but has always had trouble showing it. She worked to protect everyone, sacrificing a lot of herself in the process. That's what Mordred admired about her, but it is also why she wants to surpass her."

"So, Arturia can take a break." Yang responded in a somber voice, remembering something her roommate said a long time ago, "Kids don't always succeed in their parent's dreams, huh." She said to herself, "Mor, you're working to prove, not only your father, but yourself wrong." She then looked forward with a look of shock, seeing Mordred walking towards them, "Mor! What are you doing here?" Yang asked as Mordred tossed her the keys to Bumblebee, "Did you find you-"

"I found my father," Mordred responded in a somewhat sour tone, "We talked, and I learned a few things."

"Like what?" Sisigou asked.

"My father is weakening in his female body to the point now that Excalibur is a threat to his life." Mordred responded in a somewhat annoyed voice, "He left looking for a way to change back to The King of Knight's original form."

"Where is she now?" Yang added on.

"Probably still in that town, it didn't look like my father was in any condition travel far. Mordred responded, "My guess, maybe a week or two before he's gone." She then turned back to Sisigou, "Which reminds me, you remember our deal just under a year ago, regarding The Grand Order."

"Yeah, I remember." Sisigou responded, "I was going to recommend you to enter last year. But, after the falling out with Arturia going missing. You wanted me to hold off on my recommendation."

"Well, I decided I want to enter this year." Mordred responded, a slight smile on her face, "Unless you have a problem with that."

Sisigou had a slight giggle as he responded, "Nope, you would have been my pick this year anyway." He then turned to Yang, "Sorry kid, but I gave you that heart grenade to study, not use right away. It took me three days working with Semiramis to make a powerful enough antidote to cure Cleopatra's Uraeus Astrape."

"It's fine, I get it." Yang responded with a smile, "Besides, I heard about this tournament thing from some of my friends. I think I have a professor or two who would recommend me." She then turned to Yang, "It seems pretty fun, it would be even more fun if we fought each other. Don't you think?" She said, but Mordred had a stern expression, "Mor?"

"Yang…" Mordred said as she tightened her fists, "If it does happen that we have to fight each other, you cannot hold back." She said with Yang having a look of confusion, "If you win the Grand Order, you can make a wish for the Special Operations Division to run a mission to find your mother." She said to both Yang and Sisigou looking at her in worry, "…Both of us are fighting for something very important, and it won't truly be earned we know the other person isn't giving it their all."

"Mordred," Sisigou responded, "What do you want to wish for?"

"…I can't say," Mordred responded, a fake smile on her face, "If I do, it might not come true."

"…Okay Mor," Yang said with a smile, "If we have to fight, I'll come at you with all I got." She then walked and put her roommate in a headlock, "Just promise not to cut my hair with that big sword of yours." She said with a laugh, causing Mordred to do the same with a genuine smile on her face.

Sisigou laughed before waving to the two girls, "Okay, you two have with the rest of your classes. I got to get going."

"Hey!" Mordred called to him, "I don't want you to leave town anytime soon. We need to go over some strategies until Grand Order comes around, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." He said with a smile as walked away, "You two know where I always hang out." He said before the two smiled, walking in the other direction. After a few minutes, Sisigou glanced back to see no one behind him. He then took out his scroll, "Sorry Mordred," he said as he opened his scroll, "I'll be here for you, but I still need to warn Arturia about these Alters before it's too late." He then made a call and placed the scroll next to his ear, "…Kiritsugu, I found Arturia's location…Yeah, I'll send them to you right now, But, you're going to have to make the trip without me…Thanks, good luck." The Necromancer said before ending the call, sending a new message to the same number. He then put his scroll away and continued to walk down the hall.

 _Jeanne._

Jeanne walked down the hall with a look of focus on her face, wearing her casual school attire. She quickly found herself at the entrance of the private lab. She exhaled her breath before entering. Inside, she discovered Doctor Roman and Da Vinci at their workstation. However, the layout of the room was a little different. The content of the Grimm bacteria was opened and exposed at waist height. Nothing else seemed to be within a few feet of the container. The floor and ceiling were littered with multiple runic carvings and symbols, "Jeanne…" Roman said as he turned to her, who looked back to him in confidence, "Everything is set up now. If you're sure about this, we can begin."

"Thank you, Doctor Roman, for giving me the time to think." Jeanne responded with a slight smile, "But, I made my decision long ago."

"I know," Doctor Roman responded, "So, Da Vinci and I have worked on countermeasures before and after the process of creating the alter."

"I wonder what we should call her?" Davinci said with a smile, "I mean, you and your brother already have similar names. And his alter was just codenamed, Jaune Alter." She said with the others looking at her in a stern expression, "…I'll think of something."

"What do I have to do?" Jeanne asked Doctor Roman.

The Head of Medical turned and pointed to the container of the gunk, "Stick your hand in there for a few seconds." He said before pointing back to his monitor, "We'll look at how the bacteria will behave, finding our moment to analyze it when the magical barriers weaken. With any luck, we can get what we need before an Alter even forms."

Jeanne nodded before walking towards the container. She then looked at the slime, talking off her blazer as she held in under her left arm. She looked at her right hand before slowly moving it into the Grimm bacteria. She stuck it in only as far as halfway up her forearm. She grimaced at the slimy feeling covering her arm, turning back to the two professors. "Well?' She asked, "Is it working."

"It is!" Doctor Roman responded in shock, "The bacteria is losing its magical protection, we can analyze it further now." He said as she looked at Da Vinci, both having a smile of relief. He then turned back to Jeanne, "You can take your hand out now."

Jeanne smiled, thanking their plan for working as she tried to pull out her arm. However, her smile soon faded as she realized something. She could not pull out her arm. She then turned to Doctor Roman, who had a look of confusion before changing to horror at the realization, "Oh no," Both turned to see Da Vinci speaking, "They're forming faster than we predicted. We have to-"

Suddenly, Jeanne was pulled past her elbow into the container. She held onto the rim as she tried to pull back but struggled to keep her grip. Doctor Roman ran over to Jeanne, aiding her in pulling out her right arm. the two heaved as hard as they could, slowly getting it out. However, as they reached the wrist, Jeanne looked to see another hand grasping it, the one from inside the Grimm bacteria pulling her. at that moment, a black ball of energy came from their left, striking the grasping hand and freeing Jeanne from it. She and Doctor Romani turned to see it was Da Vinci that fired it from her gauntlet arm. Doctor Romani then turned to see the gunk bubbling, "Da Vinci!" He shouted before running back towards her with Jeanne, "Close the barrier!" he said as the two passed beyond the section of runes, causing Da Vinci to press a red button on her control panel. Causing a barrier to form, splitting the room into two halves.

Not a second later, the Grimm bacteria exploded into a ball of black smoke. As the other were protect by the barrier, they still felt the shockwave of the impact. From the outside looking it, Jeanne noticed someone standing were the container once was. She was someone of her height and build, but her hair was far shorter. Her appeared was similar to Jeanne's own combat attire, but this one's seemed more ragged and darker. As the person in the smoke turned, Jeanne looked in horror as a pair of piercing yellow eyes glared back. She then looked at her person form a thin black sword in her right hand before rushing forward, stabbing at the barrier. The force of the impact created a shockwave the removed all smoke from the area, revealing the person in all black attire. She had pale skin, white hair, and a sadistic smile on her face as she aimed the blade for Jeanne. The very same person she resembled.

However, the sword could not break the barrier. Instead pushed back the blade as the person inside was shoved back, casing her sadistic smile to change to a look of anger.

"Well," Da Vinci said as she took a sigh of relief, "At least the barrier is strong enough."

"This isn't right," Doctor Roman said he looked back at his monitor, "It formed an Alter in a matter of seconds." He then looked over to see Jeanne looking at the barrier, seeing her Alter glaring back at her, "Jeanne?"

"…What do you think you're looking at," The alter spoke as she glared back at Jeanne, but soon the sadistic girl had on a smirk, "Not exactly like looking in a mirror, is it?"

"Who are you?" Jeanne asked as the alter began to laugh.

"What a stupid question, you know what I am." The alter responded, "I am your Alter. Meaning, I'm not some goodie-goodie two shoes, prude, teacher's pet, killjoy of an Arc like you." Jeanne alter said as she pointed with her sword at Jeanne.

"Wow…" Da Vinci responded before turning to Jeanne, "You're alter is kind of a bitch." She said with everyone back at her, "What, it's true."

"Well, I'm sorry that I am not in the best of moods." Jeanne Alter sarcastically said as she recalled her sword, "But when you're imprisoned not one second after being created, you get pissed off." She then looked at her hands seeing then trembling a little bit, "Damn it, what is this prison doing to me."

"It's suppressing your skills and abilities." Doctor Romani responded, "You're not even a third as strong as you would be."

"Ha, that still makes me ten times stronger than the dumbass that was my brother." Jeanne Alter responded, "Seriously, I cannot comprehend how he could lose against his weaker form and a bunch of idiots like he did." She then looked over to Jeanne, who glared at her, "Oh, did that hit a nerve?"

"You have my memories?" Jeanne asked, "Just like my brother's alter did."

"Yes, I do," Jeanne alter responded, "And I can tell you all about who exactly is making the alters." She said with all three listening in, "…but I'm not going to." She said with a smile before sitting down, "You want that kind of information out of me, you'll have to get it the hard way." She then glared at Jeanne, "And I know for a fact one of you doesn't have the stomach for that. So, I just sit here in my cell until I figure out a way to get out. Then, I'll kill all three of you."

"You…" Jeanne said in disgust, "You are nothing like me!"

"I know," Jeanne Alter responded with a sadistic smile, "I'm your Alter. Now, since I also know you don't like to say such bad words. Why don't you go f-" Suddenly, her voice became mute, but her mouth still moved. Jeanne had a look of confusion, soon followed by her Alter.

"I don't think we need to let Jalter finish that sentence." Da Vinci responded to Jeanne and Doctor Roman, who turned to her in confusion, "In case she was a foul mouth, I put that feature into the barrier. As for the name, I just came up with it." She then looked at the Alter, who gritted her teeth in anger, "We can't trust anything she says, so we rely on the data."

"She's right," Doctor Roman added on, "We can still study her biology through the barrier to figure out what we need to know. She can stay there and keep quiet." He said looking at Jalter with his last. While she could not speak back, she extended a certain finger to express her unpleasant mood at the situation.

"Then what?" Jeanne asked, "What will happen to her after we find what we need?" The female Arc waited for an answer but was met with silence by both.

"…We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Da Vinci said to Jeanne, "For right now, Romani and I need to get to work. You have helped us a lot, just focus on going to class." She said as she led Jeanne to the exit. As Jeanne followed, she turned back to see Jalter scowling at her as she sat on the floor, remaining in silence. Even as the door closed, Jeanne still felt that gaze pierce through everything, into her very soul.

 **AN: There you go, a lot of big character moments this chapter. Mercury gets some heavy news that terrifies him, his father is alive. I also give Neo a small past to explain a bit of her mute nature here, despite her small inclusions in the series, she is still my favorite charecter. We also get Yang and Sisigou bonding a bit before Mordred comes back, showing dedicated she is to win this Grand Order and win it the right way in her mind. And finally, Jeanne makes her alter, who I refer to as Jalter, so it is a little less confusing to read and write. I really wanted to make her introduction super cool and you'll learn more about her as time goes on.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	53. Chapter 51 - Heartbreaker

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is an interesting one, as it has a lot of character focus and personal revelation. It also clarifies exactly what Ruby's reality marble does for those wondering. Also, if you want, tell me when is the best time of to post a new chapter? I will try to keep it consistent from now on based on the feedback. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 51 – Heartbreaker**

 _Pyrrha._

Pyrrha walked down the halls with a smile on her face. She made it back to her room and opened the door. As she did, Fou was there to greet her, "Fou!" The little animal said as the red-haired warrior picked her up.

As she walked in, she noticed Mash on her scroll, a smile on her face as well, "Hey Mash." Pyrrha said, slightly alarming the female shielder.

"Oh, hey Pyrrha." Mash said as she quickly put her scroll away, "How did your training go?"

"Pretty good," Pyrrha said as she sat on her bed across from Mash. She petted Fou in her lap as she talked, "I am learning a lot of new application for my polarity. If this keeps up, Vlad said he would recommend me for Grand Order."

"That's amazing!" Mash responded, "It's coming up pretty soon. They should announce the fighters for each round at the gathering." She said with Pyrrha having a look of confusion, "Oh, I guess no one told you that part. The academy has a gathering of students and faculty the day before Grand Order. It is to announce the combatants for each round, but also is a formal gathering for a lot of people to dress nice."

"Oh, like a dance." Pyrrha interpreted, "Beacon does one of those each year for its students to relax. But, some use it just to ask people out on dates." She said with Mash blushing a bit as she broke eye-contact "Is everything okay?"

"Pyrrha…I…" Mash said before she looked back to her roommate, "I…went on a date with Jaune."

"Oh," Pyrrha said in slight shock, "How did it go?"

"It was…really nice." Mash said as she started to smile, "We found a nice place to eat and spent a lot of time just talking about stuff: family, friends, past missions. It was just easy talking with him, and it really felt like he listened to me," She then looked up at the ceiling, "I learned a lot about him, and his sisters: Jeanne, Jordy, Jasmine, June, Jazz, Jasper, and Jonquil. He said they all like to travel but tries to catch up with each one at least once a year." She then had a look of worry before turning to Pyrrha, "You're not upset, are you?"

She then discovered Pyrrha smiling, "Why would I be?" She asked, "I'm happy for both you of you. You two seem like a cute couple." She said with Mash blushing, "You don't need to ask my permission to date, and neither does Jaune."

"I was just worried," Mash said, "I mean, he's your teammate."

"He is," Pyrrha responded, "But he is old enough to date whoever he wants. So are you." She had a slight giggle, "I just don't know how well your father is going to take this."

"Oh, that…" Mash said as her memory went to a few hours ago. She watched through the doorway of her father's room. Lancelot sat across from the male Ark, who sweated profusely as the black armor knight radiated a purple aura, the red of his helmet glaring into this soul, "…Yeah, that was a little tense. But, went better than I expected." She then looked back to Pyrrha, "I was going to talk with Jeanne about this, but she still hasn't come back to her room yet. I mean, with what happened with my parents and Mordred's …Arturia, relationships are something I'm not too confident with. I just…wanted to make sure I'm doing the right thing."

"You don't need to talk with Jaune's sister or me to know that," Pyrrha responded, "If you really are happy with him, then you are doing the right thing." She said with Mash smiling, "And from the look on your face, this is the happiest I have seen you."

"Thank you, Pyrrha," Mash responded, but her smile slightly faded, "But, can I ask you something personal." She said with Pyrrha nodding, a slight look of confusion on her face, "Do you… have feelings for Jaune?"

"What? I-" Pyrrha responded, but she then looked to see Mash's smile off her face. The red-harried warrior then sighed before continuing, "I…did have feelings start to form for him…but they're gone now." Mash then had a look of confusion and Pyrrha continued to pet Fou, "Back in Vale, back when we first met, he was the first boy to look at me as a friend. As we trained, I got more comfortable being around him, and started to feel something more between us than teammates." She then looked at Mash with a slight smile, "At least, that was my point of view. I don't know if he ever felt that way about me."

"What happened you're feeling about him?" Mash responded, but she then knew the answer, "His Alter." She said with Pyrrha's smile fading.

"I know he is not the same person, Jaune is nothing like him." Pyrrha responded, "But, his Alter almost killed me, he enjoyed hurting people, and every time I see Jaune, I have to take a second look to make sure I am not looking at his alter. Because of that, all my 'feelings' for him went away." She then had her smile return as she looked at Mash, "I can still look at him as a good leader and a great friend of mine, but I can't say we will ever be anything more than that now. But the way you look at him, the way you talk about him, you don't have the same problem I have."

"Pyrrha…" Mash responded with a look of sadness in her eyes, "Do you think he feels that way for me? I mean, if he didn't for you-"

"Mash, do you remember when he changed classes to shielder." Pyrrha said with Mash nodding, "The first thing he wanted to do was spend time with you. He ignored his old crush Weiss, and he ignored me." Pyrrha smiled as looked at Mash, "Jaune only has eyes on you, I'm just surprised it took him this long to ask you out."

"Pyrrha," Mash said as her smile returned, "Thank you." She said with Pyrrha smiling in response, "But, I feel a little bad now. I mean, aren't you alone here?"

"No, I felt more alone in Vale than I do here," Pyrrha responded, then she started to slightly blush, "Besides, I found someone else." She said with Mash about to ask whom.

Suddenly, the door started knocking, "Pyrrha, are you ready?" A male voice politely asked, with Mash recognizing it as the pale-skinned lancer she met before, "The bakery will only be open another hour."

"I'll be right there Karna," Pyrrha responded as Fou jumped off her lap. She then turned to Mash, who had a look of confusion, "Sometimes, you meet someone new and realizes just how much you two have in common."

"You and Karna?" Mash responded, "When did that happen?"

"Oh, I guess about a week or so." Pyrrha responded, "Our first meeting was a bit awkward, but we then started hanging out more in training and things just got easier." She then made her way to the door, as Mash still had a look of confusion, "I didn't want to distract my friends with it, so I just keep it to myself for a while. Karna was cool about it, and we get along pretty well." She said before opening the door, seeing Karna on the other end in a black jacket, black pants and dark red scarf, "Sorry for the wait, I can't wait to see what new flavors they have today." She said to Karna.

"I think the owner is trying out a new recipe for sweet cornbread," Karna said as Pyrrha had a look of interest, "If you like it, I can ask him for that recipe." She then slight giggle before the door closed behind her. Mash still had a slightly dumbfounded expression on her face as Fou jumped on her bed, falling asleep on her pillow.

 _Ruby._

Out in the plains in front of the Academy, Archer walked over to see Ruby combing Lobo's fur. The massive Greywolf had a slight smile as he rested his head on the grass, "It's been a while." The silver-haired man said to gain Ruby's attention.

"Oh, hey Archer," Ruby said as she turned to him. She ceased her combing, casing Lobo to have a slight look of annoyance, "Thanks again for offering to help us."

"Of course," Archer said as he scanned the area, trying to find someone, "But, where is-"

"Right here!" Iskandar said as he was behind Archer. The King of Conquerors placed his right hand on Archer's head, tussling his hair, "I appreciate your aid in our endures to unlock Ruby's potential." He said before Archer pushed his hand off him, leaving his hair matted as disheveled. Iskandar grinned as Archer pulled back his hair, "We have had some trouble recreating her reality marble. However, you were there when she created it the first time?"

"That's right," Archer said as he finished fixing his hair, "But if your suggesting we recreate the circumstances, I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Yeah," Ruby said as she placed her left hand on the side of her head, "I kind of doesn't want another headache like the last one." She then lowered her hand as she looked back to Lobo, "I made it once before when I got Lobo, but even then…" Ruby's mind then imaged herself in Iskandar's chariot high in the sky, with him and Archer then kicking her out to fall and hit the ground, "…I should probably find a better way." She then turned back to Archer, "Can you tell us more about when I activated my reality marble for the first time. Or maybe tell me how yours works."

"Well," Archer said as he placed his right hand to his chin, "Your eyes glowed as the focal point of your reality marble. Meaning, that is where the energy build-up happens that sends you, and whoever is near, to the reality marble." He then looked at her Silver eyes, remembering what Cinder told her, "It is possible the nature of your eyes gives you a certain power beyond a normal reality marble, as it is more common for the build-up of energy to happen around the user's body, but from a body part."

"Oh," Ruby said as she nodded, "So…what does that mean for me?"

Archer sighed before continuing, crossing his arms, "Individuals with silver eyes have been noted to have impressive powers beyond convention." He said as he could tell both Ruby and Iskandar about to point out his eye color, causing him to sigh again before continuing, "It varies person to person, so your unique skill is one that allows the reality marble to form the way it does." He then had a somewhat serious look at the silver eyed girl, "But what your reality marble creates is relied on who you are and what you intend to fill it with."

"Oh, I kind of get it now." Ruby responded, "So, how do recreate mine again? Because I kind of doesn't want to go to the infirmary again like our fight."

"You don't need to experience pain to call the reality marble," Archer responded, "Just the idea of the 'need' you had when you create the reality marble your prior times. That need for the power to achieve your goal." He said Ruby nodding in just understand, causing him to sigh in relief. He then began to think to himself, "Now, if only Cinder could separate her definitions of 'needs' and 'wants.' I could take her to the economic professor for a lesson on that, but…" he then heard the echoing phrase 'Gold is Good' in his mind, "…I should probably find a better way."

"Why I need it…" Ruby said to herself before she closed her eyes. She began to recall the two times she had summoned her reality marble, why did it, and what she saw. Archer and Iskandar waited in silences as Lobo looked at her in focus. Suddenly, a light began to peer through her eyelids, growing brighter as she opened her eyes. Once she did, a silver light filled the area.

Archer and Iskandar closed their eyes in the light. When they opened them, they found themselves in the white void that was the silver eyed girl's reality marble, "Impressive, you didn't really need my help after all-" Archer was saying, however, he cut himself off upon seeing Ruby fall to her knees, vomiting downward in to the emptiness of the void, "Ruby!"

"Ahh, I'm good, but my head feels like it is going to split open," Ruby said as she put her right hand over her right eye. Iskandar walked over and patted her on the back, she turned back to him and smiled, "Thanks…I think I stand up." Ruby said as Iskandar nodded, giving her space. She then started to stand up, her knees wobbling. Just as it looked like she was about to fall over, Lobo walked over to him Rider, allowing Ruby to use his body as a crutch, "Thanks Lobo." Ruby said with a weak smile, Lobo slightly nodding.

Lobo then heard a wolf howl. He turned his head to see Blanca in the distance, causing him to howl back. Iskandar looked over to the wolves, placing his right hand on his chin, "Hmmm."

"What are you think?" Archer asked the King of Conquerors.

"I am trying to see how this reality marble works." Iskandar responded, "What exactly it creates or stores within this seemingly endless void. You see, Ruby told me that white wolf is the mate for Lobo that died before the rider process." He then turned to see Ruby looking over the area, "Something amiss?"

"Where's my Mom?" Ruby said as her breathing became sporadic, "I…I…"

"Don't worry Ruby," Archer commented as he examined the area, "She is probably hiding and won't come out unless one of us attacks you." He then began to sigh as he searched, "It's not like she would be easy to spot-" Suddenly, he cut himself off. His eyes widening as he looked directly in front of him. Ruby and Iskandar turned to him, wondering the cause for his silences. The two then noticed a new person standing before him, a teenage girl in what looked like a pure white school uniform, vest, and skirt. Her hair was long and white but had a red ribbon tried on the left side. Her eyes were purple as she smiled at Archer, "…Sakura…" Archer said as he looked at the girl, who gave a slight nod.

"Sakura?" Ruby asked, "Who's that?"

"She looks like Sakura Matou, Archer's old teammate." Iskandar commented, "But she died years ago." Suddenly, Iskandar had a realization as he lowered his hand from his chin, "Ruby, I think I have figured out how your reality marble works. But first, I want to meet someone."

"Who?" Ruby said as she looked over to see Iskandar unsheathe his sword, raising it over his head. He had a larger grin as he looked down at Ruby, "Eh?" Ruby responded as Lobo began to growl.

Suddenly, Iskandar's grin turned into a smile as he closed his eyes. Slowly, he returned his sword to his side, "You were right Archer." He said as he opened his eyes part way, turning his head to look behind him, "There she is." He then said as he saw the white clocked woman glaring at him. The pale scythe in her handed aimed at the veins in his neck, "A protective Mother indeed."

"Mom!?" Ruby said as she moved to look past Iskandar, seeing the woman in white clearer than before, "It really is you." Ruby said as she smiled, tears forming her eyes.

"Ruby…" Archer said, causing her to turn to him still looking at Sakura, "They aren't real. You and I both know that." He said as he looked at the White Sakura, "…My teammate is dead, your mother is dead, that white dog is dead." He said with Lobo now growling at him, "The dead don't come back."

"Archer…" Ruby responded before she could continue. She noticed a teardrop fall from Archer's face into the white void. A moment of silences fell over the area until Ruby turned back to the White Summer Rose, who lowered her scythe.

Iskandar then sighed before he turned around to face his attacker, slightly bowing his head as he placed one hand on his chest, "I apologize, I was merely hoping to lure you out. I have no intention of hurting your daughter." He said with Ruby and Archer looking to him. The White Summer Rose nodded as she holstered her scythe behind her back. Before she could react, Iskandar picked her up, hugging her, causing both Ruby and Archer's eyes to widen, "Now let me properly introduce myself. I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors, Rider Professor of Chaldea Academy, and Mentor of the Young Rose." He said as The White Summer Rose was being squeezed, "You should be very proud of your daughter."

"Iskandar, were you not listening to me?" Archer angerly responded, "I said-"

"I know what you said, and you are wrong." Iskandar interrupted, "People can always live on, even after death." He said before letting go of the White Summer Rose, turning to Archer and Ruby, "Let me show you." He said before a light-bluish aura radiated and exploded from his body.

"What are you-?" Archer was saying before he realized the King of Conquerors plan, "Are you insane!" he shouted back as his widened in fear.

"What?" Ruby asked Archer, "What is he doing?"

"Taking us to his reality marble!" Archer responded, "While we're still in yours!"

"Oh…what's going to happen to us," Ruby responded back.

"Let's find out!" Iskandar said before his aura radiated around the white void. Ruby shielded her eyes from the light as it passed over her. Once she felt it was over, she opened her eyes. However, she gasped in astonishment as discovered herself in a desert. Upon quickly looking over the area, all she saw was endless sand in every direction under the blue sky, "See!" She then turned to see Iskandar standing proudly next to Archer, who was checking his body for any missing limbs, "We are fine." The King of Conquerors said before laughing.

Ruby then smiled as she saw Lobo walk up to her. She then noticed that they were the only ones to be teleported to this new reality marble, "So…is your reality marble?" Ruby commented as she pets Lobo, "It seems kind of…plain." She said with Archer then looking at her with disapproval, "…Oh, yeah." Ruby said with a giggle as she realized her comment, "I guess I can't be one to judge."

"Do not be so quick to assume, Young Rose." Iskandar said as he crossed his arms, standing tall, and smiling, "I have lived a full life as Heroic Spirit for Apocrypha. In doing so, I have met countless people who have pledged their loyalty to me in the name of conquerors over this region and war on Grimm of all kind." As he spoke, Ruby felt the sand at her feet shake, "And while many have fallen at my side, they still live on in my heart, mind, and very soul." Ruby then looked to see something approaching over the horizon. Her eyes then widened as she realized what it was, an army. Many were soldiers with only a spear and padded armor, but every person looked different than the other as they marched. Each walked over the mound of sand as Iskandar stretched out his arms, "They're bodies may be destroyed, but they have been reborn in my Reality Marble as Heroic Spirits like you and I. The bond I shared with them as my greatest treasure, my path to kingship, the Ultimate Noble Phantasm I possess, Ionian Hetairoi!" The King of Conquerors declared with his army cheering in response.

"Wow!" Ruby responded, "That's so cool!" She then had a realization about what she saw in her reality marble, "So…who I make in my reality marble…is not the actual person, but the memory of that person in real form."

"I believe so," Iskandar said as he heard a horse approach them, with Ruby recognizing it as Bucephalus, "However, while mine is limited to those I have met." He said as he petted his horse, "You can see into the hearts of anyone to expand your reality marble. Making them as real as real can be in your own world."

Ruby still had a look of confusion, until she felt Lobo bump against her. He looked up at her with a stoic expression, but with a slight look of happiness in his eyes. Ruby smiled as she looked at him, "Lobo seems happy to have met Blanca in my reality marble." She said as she had a slight tear form in her eyes, "And…I'm really happy I have a way to see my mom again." She wiped away the tear before looking to the silver-haired man, "And Archer, it must have been nice to your friend again, right?"

"…Right." Archer responded before turning to Iskandar, "Can you please return us to Apocrypha?"

"As you wish, and I thank you for your help today," Iskandar said before he glowed in the same light as before. as the process repeated, the four returned to the plains in front of Chaldea, "Do you have any last advice for the Young Rose?"

Archer then turned back to the silver eyed girl, "Ruby…you have a powerful reality marble." He said before closing his eyes, "It seems to create the new person based on someone you pull into it," He then started to walk away, "Be careful who you use it on, because if that is what you can create, there is no telling how some people will react to it."

"Oh…okay," Ruby said as she waved goodbye. As he left, she turned to Iskandar, "What did he mean by that?"

"That we should plan before using that reality marble again." Iskandar said as he walked over to her, "I think it would before the best if we train your mental resistance so that you don't pass out upon creating it ever again." He then looked down to see a look of worry on her face, "Something else the matter?"

"Did Archer…" Ruby responded, "Did Archer seem angry at me?" She said as she looked up at Iskandar, "Like, he wanted to tell me to never use my reality marble again or someone, but didn't say it?"

"Well, he has his reasons." Iskandar commented, "Your reality marble is somewhat an invasion of privacy when you think about it, so I would not use it unless it is absolutely necessary. Not to abuse its ability."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Ruby responded before she realized something, "Oh no!" Ruby said in shock, causing both Iskandar and Lobo to look at her in worry, "I forgot to ask Archer if I could see his reality marble."

Iskandar began to laugh as Lobo seemed to sigh, "What, was mine not impressive enough?"

"Nononono, yours was really cool." Ruby frantically defended, "I just…wanted to see all the weapons he has made." She said with a giggle as Iskandar laughing again. However, she thought to herself as she realized something, "Now that I know what mine does, I can tell my friends about my reality marble." She thought but hid the feeling of worry she was now stuck with, "I hope they…they don't look at me like Archer just did."

 **AN: There you go, a very character focused chapter. You see Mash being a lot more expressive than before now and Pyrrha now showing a lot more independence in her own character arc. Also, you see Karna and Pyrrha being a couple that happened in the background, which is meant to be the final note in why Pyrrha/Jaune won't happen, (It's not that I didn't like that ship like one with Jaune/Wiess, but I wanted each of these characters to discover other people in this story). We also see how Ruby's reality marble works in more detail, acting as a mix of Iskandar and Shakespeare's in that it creates as person that someone has lost in their life. Each time she uses it, a random person she brings in or herself, is the catalyst of who the person is created for. (So, in the three times she has used it now: Summer Rose from Ruby herself, Blanca from Lobo, and Sakura from Archer. This ability also stacks with each time she uses it). Each is a person in white that lives in the void and can move freely in the dimensions. I will remake the servant sheet before the Grand Order happen and I will classify her reality marble as an Anti-Heart one. We all see Iskandar show off the coolest Noble Phantasm in my opinion, and Archer showing a lot of restraint at this situation.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	54. Chapter 52 - The Talk

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support you have shown this story, it means a lot to me. I have a very emotional chapter, showing off a lot of serious stuff the character has went through. This one has two big payoffs for villains of Rwby that I liked writing.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 52 – The Talk**

 _Ruby._

Yang and Blake walked into the courtyard to see Weiss and Ruby at a table. The blond berserker smiled and waved as she sat across from her sister, "Hey, the gangs back together." Yang said as relaxed in her chair, "Between classes and other stuff, the four of us have barely been in the same room together."

"I know, so much has happened in a couple of weeks" Ruby commented, "…That's why I wanted to talk with you three."

"This isn't another one of your attempts to have me meet Lobo, is it?" Blake asked as she glared at her team leader, "I'm serious Ruby, I will have a heart attack if I see him."

"Nononono," Ruby frantically defended, "I wanted to chat with you three about our experiences here."

"Well, I've had some fun," Yang said as she half closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, turning to Weiss, "Just yesterday, I went on a little adventure with Mor, your nemesis, and my new golden boyfriend."

"Oh, good for you and Gilgamesh," Weiss responded, "But, you do know Pyrrha hates that guy. In fact, most of this school is annoyed with his attitude."

Yang shrugged as she grinned, "I find it charming," She then glanced over at Blake, "How about you? Make any progress with Achilles?"

"I still don't know what you mean by that." Blake responded before her face turned to one of sadness, "But, Chiron has told me that I haven't been progressing in our training recently. He says I'm not getting any stronger through his lessons."

"He doesn't know what he is talking about?" Yang said as she patted Blake on the back, turning back to Weiss, "What about you?"

"My training is in an interesting point," Weiss said with a sigh, "Semiramis shirted my focus into learning spells that allow me to use my glyphs more efficiently. She even taught me a way to minimize the dust I normally need in my attacks with new magic." The heiress then had a look of disappointment as she continued, "However, this is all so I can devote more energy to mastering summons. But, nothing we have tried has worked."

"I'm sure you'll get it, sooner or later," Yang said before turning to her sister, "And what's new with you?"

"I…," Ruby said as her team went silent, "I… I can make a reality marble."

"A what?" Yang responded.

"It's a high-level magic technique." Weiss commented, "That's the simple version, explained the rest would take too long."

"She's right, and she found out about it back when I got Lobo," Ruby added on.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Blake asked, speaking for Yang also.

"Why didn't you tell us about your past right away," Weiss responded as she crossed her arms, causing Blake to go silent, "The important thing is she is telling us herself when she felt ready."

"True," Yang agreed with Weiss, but turned back to Ruby, "So, what does this reality marble do?"

"Well, my eyes glow and it teleports me to a place where everything is white," Ruby responded.

"Oh, cool." Yang said with a smile before looking at Weiss, "I guess you would be practically invisible there, wouldn't you." She said with the heiress glaring at her, "I'm kidding."

"Actually...," Ruby continued, causing the other to look at her in confusion, "Each time that I have taken people there, a new person gets added to the reality marble. It's always someone in white that can move differently in that space."

"Who?" Weiss asked, "Who else is there?"

"The time you saw me use it back when I meet Lobo, that's when it made Blanca" Ruby responded, but she started to break eye contact, "The time before that when I first used it in a sparring match…it made my Mom." She said with each of her team going into a quiet shock, "I learned that it makes the person based on someone's own loss of a loved one. Making that feeling and memory a physical being in my reality marble."

"…When you say loss, what do you mean?" Yang asked before her mind went to who she lost in her life. It went right to the image of Raven, leaving her as she walked into a red void of nothingness. Blake's mind went to something similar. She looked as she saw Adam placing the White Fang mask on his face, a hateful aura radiating from his body as he glared at her. Weiss remembered a person, not as a loss, but someone she felt she never had. The image of her father Jacques looking down on her with his hands behind his back before walking away.

"I think it is someone who's dead." Ruby responded, "That's what all the people so far have in common. And it's how Professor Iskandar's reality marble works." She said with the others mind's returning to the conversation at hand, looking at Ruby, "I don't know everything about this power, but I know I can't abuse it. Making people see something like that…I don't think it's always positive. For a second, I thought this was some kind of curse," She then had a slight smile form on her face, "But, in order for me to use this reality marble, I have to remember why I need it." Her smile grew bigger as she looked at her team, "It's so I can protect people, so they can return to people they care about." She said with the rest of Team RWBY smiling.

"Well, can we go there?" Weiss asked with a smile, "I wouldn't mind seeing your mother, just to see how much to take after her."

"Yeah, you'd be surprised." Yang responded to the heiress with a giggle before turning back to her sister, "I can imagine how dad will react to this."

"I think I'll tell him in person. After this transfer program ends, I'll go home a visit him for a little bit." Ruby responded, "And I would love to take us to my reality marble, but I just ate and would rather keep my dinner this time."

"Can't you bring a person out of reality marble?" Blake asked.

"I don't think so," Ruby responded, "The only one who doesn't have a problem go in between everything is Lobo," Ruby said before she looked to her right. she then placed her right index finger and thumb to her mouth. She then whistled. A second later, Lobo appeared in a white flash as he howled. He turned to Ruby, who smiled, "See, not even phased." Ruby said as she looked back to Blake. However, the silver-eyed girl had a look of confusion at the motionless expression on her friend's face, "Blake…?"

"Ruby," Weiss said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "She just told you this would happen."

"Hold on," Yang said as she looked over the cat Faunus, "This might just be her semblance and she ran off," Yang said as she took her right hand, extending her index finger. She then slowly pocked Blake in the cheek, her hand not phasing through an illusion. Instead, it rubbed against the cold skin. The blond berserker then looked to the cat faunus frankly sweating as she tried not to move. Blake's heart pounded like a drum for the rest of her team to hear. Her eyes were white as she looked at Lobo, who slightly growling at the scent of fear, "…Nope, it's not a fake Blake. She is legitimately having a panic attack right now," Yang said as before turning to Ruby, "You should probably tell Lobo to leave." She said with Lobo having a look of confusion, wondering what he did wrong.

 _Cinder._

The sun began to set as Cinder made her way the Einzbern Mansion. A few meters from her destination, she noticed Kiritsugu leaving out the front door wearing a black trench coat. The two then crossed each other's path, neither saying a word as they walked by. As Cinder walked towards the entrance, she noticed Iri at the door, "He has to go on another mission." The white-haired lady said with a weak smile, "He says it is just a quick one, but I thought he would be around longer this time."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Cinder said with a smile as she entered, "Did you have a chance to find out more about his reality marble."

"Oh, that!" Iri responded, "He told me about the stress it puts on him and his body. I think there are some things we can try."

"Good," Cinder agreed with slight hesitation, "Where is everyone else?"

"Illya and Chloe are studying for a test and I'm not sure where Shirou is." Iri responded in slight worry, "He should be home, but I haven't seen him around."

"Well, we can look for him." Cinder responded, "You can search pantry and kitchen, while I take the roof garden." She said with Iri nodding. As Cinder walked away, she had a look of worry start to form on her face. Quickly, she made her way to the rooftop garden. Upon entering, she noticed Archer at the table they were at last night, "...I knew you where here," She said as she walked over to him, "This is where I left my laptop." As she walked over, she noticed her laptop was open with Archer watching a video, the video diary of Sakura.

"I still feel bad about my brother got kicked out of Chaldea. Now each of us is trying to catch up with only three members." Sakura said in the video, "We just got put on a mission to explore a town after an odd explosion. But, with Professor Pendragon at our side, we should be fine." Cinder then realized the date of the video Archer was watching, the date she knew was this girl's last recording, "Rin has been so angry about Shinji she's been taking out on Shirou during sparing. He looked so terrified in that fight." Sakura said with a slight giggle as she blushed, "…I have mentioned here before how I feel about Shirou, but I haven't told him yet in person. But…I think today is the day. And I know I have said that before." She said with a giggle again before she looked down at her hands, cupping them in one another, "I…I just…I lo-"

From behind the door to the room, the purple haired girl heard a voice call out to her, "Sakura are you ready?"

"Yes Shirou," Sakura said as her face turned red looking at the door. She then looked back to the camera and smiled before turning it off. As she did, a black screen showed a single message, end of recordings.

"Archer…" Cinder said as she looked over to him, seeing his face in depression as his eyes were a dried red, "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"…I failed her," Archer responded, "Even before I realized I couldn't save everyone, I wanted to make sure I could at least save her." While his eyes seemed drained, painful tears started to pour down his face, "But I couldn't save her, I failed her. If one person had to die that day it should have been me." He then looked to Cinder, "Now, I'm being tortured by her image everywhere I go: BB, these messages, … I remember her always looking at me with adoration. It's what motivated me to protect everyone, to live up to the person she saw. But, I feel emptier now than ever in my life."

"Archer…" Cinder said as she looked at him, sighing before continuing, "…I grew up in Mistral in a smaller section of the kingdom." She said with him looking at her in confusion, "My Mother ran a clothing shop as the head designer and face of the brand. My Father was a cobbler that made shoes for my mother to sell in her store. Their brand wasn't that popular, but it made then enough money to support a child."

"Cinder?" Archer asked, "What are you doing?"

"I know so much about you," She said with a slight smile, "You should know something more about me." Cinder said with him going silent, "As I grew up, my parents wanted me it inherit the store. While they taught me more about fashion than proper business, I wasn't opposed to the idea of as a young girl." She then looked over to see the sun almost fully set over the horizon, "One day, a breach in the kingdom led to a few Grimm roaming the streets. One Beowolf made its way to the store as I was cleaning up. It attacked me and was the first moment in my life I thought I was going to die. My parents rushed to my aid, but they were not trained to handle something like that. The Grimm left my father without the ability to use his left arm ever again and my mother was scared over the left side of her face, losing an eye. Eventually, a huntress came and killed the Grimm in an instant. That was also a first for me, seeing true power on display." Cinder smiled as she looked over the setting sun, "I never learned who she was. Only that she was visiting Mistral for a while, and that her eyes were a silver I have not seen before."

"That's when you learned it," Archer commented as she nodded.

"I looked into many things after that, causing me to meet some people that put me on the path I walk today." Cinder commented, "My parents manage the store as best they can today, struggling more than before, but enjoying their work. So, I send them money through my operation to maintain their business. As far as they know, I have a high paying position in an out of kingdom corporation. They still worry about my safety, but I assure them in every note I send that everything is going according to my plan."

Archer then had a small laugh as she smirked at him, "Why would you tell me that?" He said as he wiped his eyes, "That's really unlike you."

"My point is that I haven't lost anyone like you have, so I won't lie and say I understand your pain." Cinder responded as she stood up, walking over to Archer, "But what I can tell, we are all shaped by the events of our past. The way we interpreted them is what forms who we are today. To move on, you have to accept certain things about yourself to push forward." Cinder said as she as her face was a foot away from him, staring into each other's eyes, "It's not needed to have someone tell you how to think." Cinder then slightly smiled, this one different than any other he had seen her made before, "But for you, I think it would help to have someone say what you're too afraid to even think." She said with a look of worry on Archer's face, "…You did not kill Sakura. She loved you, and you loved her." She spoke as Archer recalled what he saw earlier today. In seeing the White Sakura smile at him. Without saying a word, he felt her saying the same thing Cinder was telling him, "Stop telling yourself you failed her, you didn't. If you want to honor her memory, you have to move on with your life. It's what she would have wanted for you, for you to be happy." Cinder then took a step back as started to walk away, "I'll give you some time alone now."

Just as the black-haired archer made her way to the exit, Archer called out to her, "Cinder…" He said with her stopping, "Thank you." He said with a smile on his face. After a few seconds, Cinder resumed her walk out the exit.

As she closed the door behind her, Cinder discovered Iri, Chloe, and Illya all standing before her, "…You three were eavesdropping." She assumed with all three of them nodding in unison, casing Cinder to sigh, "So, how much did you hear?"

"All of it." Chloe responded with a smirk, "I guess that's why your good at sewing, isn't it?" She said Cinder smirking back.

"Do you think he will be okay?" Illya asked Cinder.

"Only time will tell," Cinder said as she glanced back at the door, "But, I like to think I go through to him a bit." She then looked back at the others with a slight smile, "He can be stubborn about certain things."

"Yes, he is," Iri said with a giggle, "Why don't we go have some tea." She said with Cinder nodding.

The two ladies began to walk away as Illya smirked as she looked at Chloe, who sighed, "…Fine, you win the bet. I'll do your homework tonight." She said with Illya giggling as she followed her mother and Cinder. Chloe then put her hands behind her head as she followed her, "I really thought she was going to kiss him."

 _Mercury._

Mercury sat the kitchen table with his head in his hands. His eyes closed as his mind wandered into the past. He remembered a time long ago, him getting kicked down by a large man with grey hair. A look of disappointed and hated filled his eyes as he looked down at Mercury convulsing, "And you thought you could kill your own father." Marcus said to Mercury, "You have the mindset that you can walk over anyone. But you are lazy, weak, and pathetic." He said as Mercury gritted his teeth, starting to get up, "Let me fix that problem of yours." Suddenly, Marcus lifted his left leg and stomped on Mercury's right knee. Mercury screamed in agony as the cracking of the bone echoed from inside his body and mind. Before he could place his hands on his right leg, Marcus stomped again. But this time, on the left knee with as much force. Mercury recoiled back and cried in agony, the lover half of his left limp and motionless, "Now, you do you know where you stand?"

"I'll kill you!" Mercury shouted at his father, who looked down at him in disdain, Marcus then lifted his leg again. He now stomped on the lower part of Mercury's right leg. The tibia and fibula snapped like branches of a dried tree, Mercury cry again before gritting his teeth, "I'll kill you!" he shouted again, but his father looked down on him without remorse. He raised his leg again and crushed Mercury's other leg the same way. Mercury screamed lower than before, his legs contorted, bruised, and unless to him now. Still, with tears in his eyes, he glared up at his father, "I'LL KILL YOU!" he declared once again.

"…Mercury?" A female voice called to him. Mercury moved his hands away from his head, remembering where he was. He looked over to see Jack in her pajama, rubbing her eyes, "What were you saying?"

"Nothing Kid," Mercury said as he rubbed his eyes, "I just was having a bad dream."

"Oh, we have those a lot." Jack responded, "Mommy always tells us a story after we woke up from one."

"That's nice," Mercury said with a slight smile before looking at his trembling hands, "I wish I had that." He said with her having a look of confusion, "…Listen, Kid, I think I need to leave this Kingdom." He said with Jack looking confused, "I learned that a person from my past is pretty close by. I thought I was done with him forever. But, that isn't the case anymore," He then turned to Jack, the smile gone from his face, "I can't see him again, and if he finds me…he's already taken a lot that I thought I couldn't lose before."

"What? You can't go?" Jack said as tears formed in her eyes, "What did he take?"

"Aside from most of my natural life," Mercury said before he lifted one of his pant legs. Jack looked in shook. For the first time, she saw the prosthetic leg, "Both of my legs are like this." He said as Jack reached for them, her fingers on the metal as her tears began to fall.

"…Did it hurt?" She asked as she looked at his leg.

"Yeah, a lot." Mercury responded, "Even though I have these replacements, every time they break, I'm reminded of the pain." He then covered up his legs, causing Jack to pull her hand back, "You're a good kid, you and Rhyme both are. Even that Atalanta is the nicest person I have ever meet." He then stood up, "I don't want any of you to get caught up in my issues. So, this is goodbye." He said before patting her on the head, "Take care, Jack." He said with a smile before walking to the door.

Suddenly, Jack jumped on his back, holding him tightly as tears fell from her face, "Please don't go!" She begged as she sniveled. As Mercury was about to shake her off, she said something that caused him to stop, "We don't want to lose you too." Jack said as Mercury remembered what has happened to this girl with the last couple of weeks, "We lost our Mommy, we don't want to lose you too." Jack said as she tightens her grip, "Please, Mercury, don't leave us."

"Jack…," Mercury responded as he closed his eyes, "If he comes here, I can't protect you."

"Then we will protect you!" Jack responded, causing Mercury to open his eyes, "We don't want to lose you. You're like our big brother." A tear began to form in his eyes as he spoke, "You're our family. Please don't go." Jack said before she buried her face into Mercury's back.

Mercury fell to his knees looking down at the ground as tears rolled down his checks, "Jack…" He said as he heard her crying, "…Okay, I won't go." He said with Jack rising her head, "Being here, taking care of you and Rhyme, going shopping with Atalanta, the four of us having dinner together." Mercury said as he smiled, the tears still coming down his face, "This is the happiest I have ever felt in my life. And, I don't want this feeling to end." He said with Jack smiling, "So, I'll stay, and I'll do everything I can to keep us together." Jack then let go of Mercury as he turned to face her. The two then hugged each other tightly, not wanting to let the other go.

Outside the room, in the hallway, Ushiwakamaru stood next to the door. Tears rolled from her closed eyes as she covered her mouth with her right hand to hide any noise. After a few seconds, she lowered her hand, a look of determination filling her eyes, "Brother, I now know the man who did this to you. The way you spoke, only one man is that heartless." She said as she walked down the halls, the image of Marcus returning to her mind "If our father does show up, I will make him pay." She said as she clenched her fists, walking down the halls of Chaldea, "I will protect you no matter what."

 **AN: There you go, an emotional chapter to say the least. Despite fifty plus chapters in, I rarely had all of Team RWBY meeting like this. This also explains why Blake is the one you see the least of, because she is making the least progress out of them all. You also see that Weiss is progressing, but not the way she wants. And Ruby tells them about the reality marble, while sending Blake to the infirmary in the process. You see video of Sakura again, this time fast forwarded to the end to hear her other last words. And Cinder tells her backstory, or at least what it is for the context of this story, obviously leaving out the more recent people she knows from her origination. It is fun to give her more context and showing a less manically side, while maintaining her nature as a character. And Mercury and Jack have a real heart to heart moment. Even I feel bad about how he was treated at the start of this story, but he is on a better path now.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	55. Chapter 53 - Heating Up

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. I was busy with school work, so I couldn't write as much as I normally could. This chapter starts to hint at a few of the Grand Order fighters, show off some new moves, and introduce one of my favorite assassin servants. This chapter does have a little time jump, but all that happened in-between was training and searching. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 53 – Heating Up**

 _Two weeks later._

 _Cinder_

On top the Garden of the Einzbern mansion, Cinder sparred with Chloe. Both held a short sword in each of their hands, the blades grinding against one another. In the distance, Iri was watching them while sitting at the table.

Suddenly, Cinder pushed Chole back, launching the red mantle girl into the air. However, Chloe grinned as she repositioned herself. She then tossed her two blades at Cinder, which curved as the spun through the air. Chloe then traces two more short swords and tossed them as well. Cinder prepared to intercept all four projectiles. In the process, she realized she took her eyes off Chloe. At that moment, Chloe got behind Cinder, already in mid-swing with two more blades.

Just before any of the hits could collide with her body, Cinder's eyes glowed a fiery yellow. Before Chloe could react, she noticed Cinder's swords radiating a similar glow. The black-haired archer then slashed at the four blades in front her, but her sword when through them without any resistance. Chloe watched as her traced weapons shattered, but to her shocked, they then turned to dust. She then tried to block Cinder's horizontal slash. Chloe let go of her blades as she jumped away, leaving them to the same fate as her other four. As she landed back on the ground, she saw Cinder casually standing, the dust of the weapons glowing as they radiated near her body.

"Cool, you learned how to Overedge your swords," Chloe said before had a slight chuckle in her next statement, "Or should I say, you learned how to Overcook them."

"Call it what you will," Cinder responded with a smile, "It is a power I find to be very useful in combat."

"No kidding," Chloe responded as she made two more replacement blades, assuming a fighting stance, "Now then, round two." She said with a smirk, Cinder responding in kind.

Iri smiled as she watched the two sparring. However, she heard someone open the door to the rooftop garden. It was Archer carrying a tray of tea and sandwich to the group, his apron on instead of his red mantle, "Thank you Shirou," Iri said as he placed the tray on the table, sitting next to her,

"Tell me, has my father contacted you recently?" Archer said with her eyes slightly filling with worry, "It has been a while since he left."

"He has, it is a searching mission that is taking him a while to find his target." Iri responded with a slight grin, "Next time he contacts me, I will let him know you are worried about him."

"I was not worried, just irritated." Archer corrected, "Before he left, he told the headmaster I was his recommendation me for Grand Order."

"As he has done for the past couple of years," Iri said as she grabbed a sandwich, "And will you reject his recommendation, like the other years."

"Of course," Archer said with his mother sighing, however, she noticed her son smiled slightly, "Besides, this year I can do something more to help people. You see, about a month ago, that fishing town was attacked by Grimm, leaving it in bad shape. They have been rebuilding ever since, but it has been slow and meant the people cannot go and see the tournament." He then turned back to her, "The headmaster said that if you are not participating in The Grand Order this year, you can volunteer to help repair the town on the same day."

"I see, that is a good reason, but still an excuse." Iri said with Archer having a perturbed look on his face, "It also means you will miss Cinder's moment in the Grand Order."

"What, who is recommending her?" Archer responded with Iri smiling as she closed her eyes, "Oh, that's why you have been training her in your free time." He said with her nodding, causing him to sigh as he reached for a sandwich, "And if you two do win, what are your wishes?" he said before taking a bite of his snack.

"I'll not sure what Cinder wants yet," Iri responded, "But my wish will be that you marry her." Suddenly, Archer coughed, choking on his sandwich, "Shirou, remember to chew."

Once he recovered he turned to his mother in a panic, "Are you insane!" he responded, "You can't wish for something like that from the school." He said with her smiling, "…Can you?"

"They can officiate the wedding, have it in the church." Iri responded, "I have thought a lot about this."

"Have you talked with Cinder about this?" Archer responded, "Or father, Illya, and Chloe!?"

"Nope," Iri replied, causing Archer to have a look of disbelief, "I want this to be a surprise, so don't tell anyone."

"Why are you doing this!?" Archer responded back as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I just want you to be happy, Shirou." Iri said with a sincere smile, causing Archer to open his eyes, "And your happy when you're with her, aren't you?" She said with him going silent for a second as he lowered his hand, "Regardless, this is all contingent on her winning. But I have faith in her, do you?"

"…The tea is cold." Archer said as he picked up the tray, "I'll make a new pot."

"But, we didn't try the tea yet," Iri said but Archer was already walking away with the tray. As he closed the door behind him, she smiled, "…Just as shy as his father."

In the distance, Cinder and Chloe paused their fight to look over at Iri, "I wonder what that was about?" Cinder asked with Chloe shrugging.

 _Pyrrha._

In the plans outside the academy, Karna sparred with Pyrrha. The two clashed with their spears while Vlad watched from afar, "That is enough ground combat." The blond lancer declared, "Take to the air." After his claim, Pyrrha tired a horizontal slash. Karna jumped to dodge, shrouding himself in a red aura, and ascended high in the sky.

Pyrrha looked up at him and grinned. Her Gae Akuno radiated a black aura that surrounded her body, concentrating on the armor on her body. The red-haired warrior then jumped to meet Karna in the sky, resuming her clashing of weapons in mid-air now.

"Good Pyrrha, you have mastered this ability with your polarity." Vlad said as he looked up at them, "Now, show me another."

"Yes sir," Pyrrha said as she pushed Karna away with a slash of her spear. As Karna recovered, he looked to see Pyrrha pointed up with her Gae Akuno. A ball of black energy gathered at the spearhead as the gems in her weapon glowed, "Gae Milo: Blast!" She declared as she pointed at the pale lancer, unleashing a beam of black aura.

Karna held his lance in a blocking stance, causing the black beam to redirect off it. The beam the headed back down towards Vlad, colliding with the ground only a few feet from his body. While the impact created a mild explosion, he simply grinned as he looked up at his students, "Pyrrha! Karna!" Vlad shouted up to them, "We are running out of time for our lesson today. I am giving you permission, use your Noble Phantasms."

Both student lancers nodded before turning to each other from meters away, "If that is your command." Karna said before he closed his eyes as his body began to radiate fire. As he opened them, the fire erupted from his back into multiple pillars in a circle. His golden armor exploded off his body, his radiance rivaling the sun above him.

Pyrrha closed her eyes as well as she let go of her weapon. However, her lance did not fall as it was between her palms. The Gae Akuno began to spin on its axis as it radiated a black aura darker than the others before. The aura expanded around Pyrrha, but this time as a confluently moving spherical magnetic field.

Karna then reeled back his spear arm as heat gathered at the tip, "Vasavi Shakti." He said before thrusting his spear forward, unleashing a devastating beam of fire.

At that moment, Pyrrha opened her eyes and declared, "Gae Milo: Barrier!" The spherical barrier she made quickly compressed, forming an oblong shape. It was as if a massive wave of black magnetic energy was expanding in all directions as it collapsed in on itself. The two attacks collided with each other, each struggling for dominance. After a few seconds without either gaining ground over the other, the attacks detonated into a massive explosion.

As the explosion ran through the area, Vlad smiled as felt the shockwave pass over his body. He looked up at the smoke over the blast, seeing both of his students descending back to the ground, "Excellent." Vlad said as he walked over to them, "Both of you are ready for Grand Order tomorrow."

"I have told you before, I do not wish to enter." Karna responded as he recalled his weapon, "Due to the event's structure, I am unable to fight my brother in a round." He said in a deadpan voice as Pyrrha had an uneasy smile.

Vlad cleared his throat before he continued, "Regardless, you were not the I was going to recommend this year." He said to Karna before looking to the red-haired warrior, "Pyrrha Nikos, it will be announced later tonight, but I wanted to tell you that you are my recommendation for this year's Grand Order."

"Thank you," Pyrrha said as she made a slight bow. She then looked up at him, her eyes full of determination, "I promise, I won't lose."

"I would expect nothing less," Vlad said before he turned around, "This training session is over, get some rest before the event tonight." He said before walking away.

Karna then turned to see Pyrrha smiling as she looked at her weapon, "Congratulations." He said to her with a slight smile forming on his face, "You have done a lot to get to this point."

"I didn't think it was possible," Pyrrha responded, "But, I haven't worked this hard since I first started training to become a huntress. Back then, I thought I hit my limit and didn't think it was possible to get stronger." She then looked back Karna, a cheerful smile on her face, "Now, I don't have any limits, just my goal." Pyrrha's expression then changed to one of a looked of focus, "To be undefeated."

"…I see," Karna responded as he smiled. He then turned and started walking, "There is a recipe for Chapati bread I have been meaning to try out. It could give you the stamina for tomorrow to remain undefeated." He said as she giggled, following him. Suddenly, she lightly punched him in the right arm, causing him to have a look of confusion, "What was that for, our match was over?"

"Yes, but I can tell you were holding back with your Noble Phantasm back there," Pyrrha responded.

"If I had used my full power, it could have incinerated a quarter of the kingdom." Karna responded, "Your magnetic field does repel the heatwaves from harming you, but it could have destroyed the land in the process if I had used my full power." he then looked at his body, "But it still cost me my armor to attack at that level." He then turned back to Pyrrha, "You must be careful of your surroundings."

"Okay, I will remember for next time," Pyrrha said as they walked. After a few seconds, she felt something grip her left hand. upon looking down, she saw that it was Karna holding it. When she looked up at him, his face was still deadpan, but Pyrrha smiled as she looked forward, "Thank you, for helping get this far."

 _Kirei_

At the far end of the kingdom of Apocrypha, inside a navy-blue car, Bazett drove down an empty dirt road as Kirei was reading from a bible in the adjacent seat. The professional huntress had a somewhat scowled expression as she drove, leading to the head of the church to sigh, "I understand your frustration." He said upon closing the bible, "It has been a month with no evidence of these humanoid Grimm at the location Kiritsugu discovered."

"Yes, the towns that say they have spotted them, they now said the sighting stopped just before we got there." Bazett added on, "Something is wrong."

"Perhaps they are congregating at our next stop." Kirei said with a smirk, "After all, this is the last stop for us."

"If they were, I would anticipate a very hostile reaction," Bazett responded.

"Well, that is why I choose you on this mission," Kirei said with a wider smirk as the car stopped, "For your…technique with a situation that could become hostile." As the two opened the doors and exited, the looked upon their location. It was an abandoned town, one that looks to have been that way for over half a decade, "This is it."

"I heard about this town." Bazett said as she reached in the back seat, pulling to a cylindrical container with a strap, "It was the one where a large explosion left the whole area uninhabited. The team sent to investigate lost a member in the process."

"Yes, but what is more notable is that this spot would be the first sighting of the humanoid Grimm." The head of the church responded, "On that mission, the King of Knight fought one of a more primitive form than the other's spotted recently." He held his hands behind his back as he walked into the town, "And it was after that event that the sighting becomes more apparent."

Bazett followed as she shouldered the cylindrical container by the strap. As they walked through the area, the looked at the destroyed homes, crumbling from the passage of time. She then looked at the ground, seeing black stains in the dry dirt. Eventually, they made their way to the center of the town noticing two large craters. One was a massive empty pit, the other was a type of an adjacent channel that ran for a quarter mile to the outside of the town, "So that is where Arturia used her Noble Phantasm." Bazett said out loud as she looked at the channel. She then looked at the pit, "This must have been the origin of the explosion."

"Yes," Kirei said as he examined the pit, "It was noted in her report she saw many Grimm here, digging and eating the soil. It was theorized the runoff from the explosion made a sort of nutrient for Grimm. But for people like us, it was the equivalent of salting the land." He continued to examine the pit, "No more Grimm seems to be in the crater, they must have starved to death after being unable to climb out." Suddenly, the head of the Church had his vision focus on something inside the crater. It was a pile of near the far-off edge. While their shape looked humanoid, their skin seemed to match that of the color of a Grimm. He turned to Bazett, who had also just seen it.

The two then nodded before jumping into the pit, sliding on the wall on their way down. Upon landing, they walked over to the pile of corpses, clearly seeing them as the Humanoid Grimms, "Well, we found them." Bazett spoke up as she estimated the number she saw in nearing a hundred, noticing the bodies start to evaporate like normal Grimm do, but at a slower rate, "From the looks of it, this is about the number of what was reported." She said as Kirei knelt to examine one of the bodies.

"I saw an image of this one before," Kirei said as he looked at a female Humanoid Grimm with long purple hair. The corpse laid on its back with its clothes tattered and the mask on its face cracked, Kirei slowly tried to remove the mask, but he did not expect it to actually come off. As it did, he saw the face of a dead woman, her eyes closed with a look of torment on her face, "Her expression, she did not have a peaceful death." He then placed the mask to her side as he explained her body. Upon feeling her right forearm, he noticed something odd. As he lifted it, his eyes widened as he noticed the flesh was unsupported by the bone. With each move, he hard the sound of small cracking in the corpse's arm.

"The bones are completely shattered." Bazett commented as she looked at the corpse, "Even if she was alive, this is a type of wound that would never heal. Even I would not be willing to inflict this much damage to a body." She then had a look of anger fill her eyes as she clenched her fists, "Whoever did this was merciless."

Suddenly, Bazett heard something cutting through the air. As she turned to it, her eyes widened as she saw a silver kunai heading for her face. Before she could react, Kirei threw one of his black keys, intercepting the kunai in midair. As the weapons fell to the ground, the head of the church looked to where the kunai was thrown. He quickly spotted someone at the corner of the top of the pit vanishing, "There!" he said as he ran towards the wall of the pit, running up the side of it. Bazett followed suit, leaping out of the pit.

The two exited the crater at the same time, quickly scanning the area. In the corner of Kirei's eye, she saw someone run into an alleyway. Followed with Bazett a few steps behind as they went into the alleyway. After running through for about a minute, they reached a dead-end. Kirei and Bazett looked over to see where the person went. The head of the church noticed a manhole cover on the ground. He knelt down to examine it as Bazett looked to him.

As he lifted the manhole cover, he heard a different metallic sound. Suddenly, he realized where he forgot to look up at the fire escape shafts. Upon turning his head, he saw the attacker. It was a young girl with greyish skin and purple hair. The bone-like mask on her face was the same design as the one he saw earlier. She wore a black, skintight, sleeves attire what vertical showed off her midsection and exposed back. The girl reached out her hand in an attempt to grab Kirei, who knew he could not evade in time.

Suddenly, he noticed a blue light emanating from behind him. He glanced to see Bazett glowing as she dropped the cylindrical container. In her right hand was a palm-sized metal ball. She tossed it in the air as she clutched her fist. Bazett then punched the metal ball, causing a glyph in the shape of an arrowhead pointing at the attacker. Faster than it could if it had been shot out of a cannon, the metal ball collided with the young girl. While it just grazed her hip, it was enough to push her out of her path to Kirei. The girl slammed into the brick wall as the metal ball tore right through it, making a perfectly spherical hole. When the girl fell the ground, the mask fell off and rolled to Kirei side.

"That makes us even," Bazett said as she adjusted her gloves. Kirei smirked as he let go of the manhole cover. He then picked up the bone-like mask and looked at it. Bazett examined it as well before they both looked to the girl. She was still living in pain as she glared up at them her purple eyes.

"You must be one of these humanoid Grimm." Kirei said before looking at the mask, "But from what we just discovered, you are the last humanoid Grimm."

"My name is Serenity." The humanoid Grimm girl responded as she tried to get up. However, she fell back to the ground in pain, "You two…did you kill the others."

"No," Kirei responded, "We had just arrived and saw the carnage." He then closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head, "I am sorry for your loss, we did not mean you any ill will."

"We were on a mission to communicate with your kind." Bazett added on, "We had been searching for one of you for the last month."

"In the last month, we have been slaughtered by two individuals. hunting us down before we could learn of their motives or appearance." Serenity responded, "We fled to this town for safety, but …it did not work." She then looked at the two in a slightly calmer expression, "You two…really aren't the two that killed my kind."

"As Bazett said, our goal was to communicate with your people, not to kill." He said as he handed her the mask back, "We only fought back in defense of ourselves."

Serenity looked at the mask for a second before accepting it, "Thank you… and…I'm sorry." She said before putting her mask back on.

"I understand, it can be hard to trust someone in your in this situation." Kirei smiled as he stood up, "Now, it people are trying to kill you. It would be best if took you back to the academy for your own safety."

"A would agree," Bazett commented, "We should leave now to attract less attention to the area." She then looked to see Kirei reach out his hand to Serenity, but she had a look of panic as she stared at it, "Is something the matter?"

Serenity then looked up at Kirei as she picked herself up, "You cannot touch me." She said in a serious voice, "If you or anyone does, they will instantly die from a deadly poison on my skin."

"…I see," Kirei said as he remembered her last attack, retracting his hand, "I will talk with the research team at the academy about a potential cure." He said with Serenity's eyes lighting up behind her mask, "For now, let us focus on getting there first." He said before walking away and out of the alleyway. Serenity followed as Bazett looked at her scroll to look at a miniature map of the area.

"If we were to drive through the night, we would be able to return by late afternoon tomorrow." Bazett said before she closed the scroll, "That means we will miss The Grand Order this year."

"Pity," Kirei said as he walked, a smirk on his face, "I do wonder what became of those transfer students in our absences."

The three then made their way back to the car, with Bazett opening the opening the backseat door for Serenity. The young girl nodded in thanks before entering the car. Bazett took her seat as the drive as Kirei was about to enter. However, he quickly turned back to the town, scanning in silence before entering the car. After a few seconds, the car drove off into the distance.

However, hiding the shadows was a middle-aged man who glared at the car. He sipped from a flask before turning to someone behind him, "We'll follow them until the time is right." the man said in a gruff voice to another person. This person was completely black in the shadows, but still radiated a dark aura outlining his disheveled hair, red eyes, and the sinister smile that grew on his face.

 **AN: There you go, a lot went down this chapter. You see Cinder now has a very deadly move in her arsenal, not quite a reality marble yet, but still strong. You see Archer is a bit more recovered now from last we saw him but is a little take back it his mother's intentions. Pyrrha can now use her polarity skill to float, fire beams, and create an expansive magnetic field for blocking attacks. (her weapon is Gae Akuno, but Gae Milo is how she declares the attacks she makes with them). Karna shows his stubborn, yet soft side this chapter with Pyrrha as well. The next chapter will be a while to put out but should be longer as I go through who gets put into what round for Grand Order, the rules, and some fun with the formal event as well. And finally, we return to Kirei and Bazett after on their quest for the Humanoid Grimm, finding the last one alive in Serenity. And as they leave, you see they are going to be followed by two people everyone thought were dead. (in case some misunderstands, the guy with the flask is not Qrow).** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	56. Chapter 54 - The First Culmination

**AN: Hey everyone, I worked hard to create this chapter, making it the longest one yet to celebrate this story getting close to 300 favorites. I wanted to put almost everyone in this chapter, which was stressful, but fun at the same time. You will finally see a lot of the build up to certain things come to fruition as the Grand Order rounds will be announced. After this chapter, I will post a second servant sheet that is updated for the Grand Order fighters. The chapter after that will be the beginning of Grand Order round one. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 54 – The First Culmination**

 _Mordred._

Late in the afternoon, Yang and Mordred were just walking out of their room. The blond berserker wore a white sundress and heels. While the prideful knight had on a black suit with a long coattail, "You know," Yang said as they walked down the halls, "You could have gone dress shopping with me, instead of wearing one of your father's old suits."

"What's wrong with it?" Mordred responded.

"It's from back when he was a dude." Yang said with Mordred glaring at her as she adjusted her white gloves, causing Yang to sigh, "Fine, suit yourself." As they walked and turned the corner, they ran into Cleo, Nitocris, and Tomoe. The long-haired queen wore a lightish grey dress with golden accessories. The canine faunus wore a short sleeve white suit and skirt with a purple bowtie. The gamer girl wore a white, red, and black pattern sleeveless dress and a shawl around her arms. Yang then turned back to Mordred, "See, they know how to dress up." Yang said, but Mordred still glared.

"Calm down," Cleo said to Mordred, "This is supposed to be a fun night." The group then began to start walking towards their destination. "So," Cleo said as she smirked at Yang, "I'm surprised you're not arriving there with your boyfriend."

"I told him I wanted to hang out with you girls for a bit," Yang responded, "He was cool with, saying well meet each other there." She then had a slight smile on her face, "He already promised me my first dance."

"See Mordred," Cleo said with a smirk, "Your roommate has a good boyfriend, all we need to do if find you one."

"Shut up with that already." Mordred responded with Cleo and Yang giggling, "All I care about at this event is what round I'm put in, knowing my opponents, not some stupid dance."

"Oh, so you're going to be in this year." Tomoe commented as she walked, "Neat."

Nitocris sighed as she walked, "I hope I get put in this year," She said as her ears dipped forward, "I worked so hard in that Dance class."

Suddenly, Yang held Nitocris in a headlock, "Don't worry about, you told us you got an A." She said with a smile, "That should be more than enough for her to recommended you."

"That's if Professor Hari decides to recommend someone." Tomoe commented, "Some teachers won't if they think the competition is too rough that year."

"Yeah," Cleo added on, "Some make their recommendations months in advance so that the students can participate even if the Professor is away. However, that puts the student at a disadvantage."

"How?" Yang asked.

"It will be explained when we get there." Cleo said with a smile, "For now, let's just focus on getting there and relaxing until the announcements." She said as the other four nodded, walking down the hallway in strive.

 _Emerald._

Emerald walked down the pathway towards the Einzbern mansion. She wore a green and black sleeveless dress and matching broch, "How is it after a month of being here, I never knew they had this place close by." She said to herself as she walked. However, in the corner of her eye, she noticed someone. As she turned to get a better look, her eyes widened in shock. It was a man in a white trench coat, leaning on a cane in his right hand, and a blower hat atop his orange hair. The person was facing the other direction, looking at the setting sun, but Emerald could tell who it was in her mind, "I don't believe this." Emerald said as walked over, "Roman, what do you think you are doing here."

"Roman?" the person said, causing Emerald to panic as she recognized the voice as someone else. The man turned around, revealing himself as her roommate, "It's Robin, not Roman."

"I-I know." Emerald said as she had an uneasy giggle, "I just …did not recognize you in that outfit."

"Oh, thanks." Robin said with a smile, "Your Buddy Mercury helped pick this out for me, what do you think?"

"Oh, I'm going to have to personal 'thank' him for doing that." She said with him noticing others arriving. Achilles walked with Blake at his side. The young hero wore a black suit with green lining, while the cat Faunus had a violet dress with a black mess under-top. Next to them were Ren and Kiyohime. While Ren wore a similar suit to Achilles, the draconic faunus wore a puffy dress with three shades of blue separated by black ribbons. She had one arm holding onto Ren, while the other held a yellow hand-fan. On her head was another matching ribbon and yellow flowers at her sides. She smiled as she leaned her head on Ren's shoulder. Emerald looked over to them, sighing, causing Robin hood to look back at her, causing her to have a look of embarrassment, "Oh, nothing." She said as she started to back up, "I'll catch up with you later, bye." She said with Robin having a look confusion.

Achilles walked over to Robin as they watched Emerald walk away, "What was that about?" Achilles asked, but Robin shrugged.

"I didn't even get to tell her she looked good," Robin responded, "And that was a pretty broach she had on."

 _Nora._

As Emerald walked away in frustration, she heard a voice call to her, "Hey Em." She looked to see it Nora and Fran waving to her. The orange-haired saber wore a pink dress, the top half resembling a heart. Fran wore an almost black and white maid outfit with tassels hanging from her head ornaments, "Sorry we're late, Fran was getting her cast removed."

"No problem," Emerald said before looking at Fran, "So, your arms all healed up?"

"Aa!" Fran said with a nod, flexing with her once broken arm, "Au…" She said as her expression turned a bit sadder.

"It's healed, but Moriarty says it's not good for her to overexert it too early." Nora translated, "So, she knows she is not in Grand Order this year."

"That's a shame." Emerald commented, "To be fair, I wouldn't want to be in this tournament anyway. All these crazy people with powers are not my thing."

"But that makes it fun." A familiar voice called to them. The three girls turned to discover Drake standing next to Neo and Jekyll. The female pioneer had on a white t-shirt over a black vest and pants. Her face was slightly red as she held a half-full glass of what smelled like whiskey and ice. The assassin in glasses wore a navy-blue suit with a long coattail. While the pint-sized girl had on a long dress, the upper half being pink and the lower being white with a large brown ribbon around her waist. On the brown side of her hair was a large white lily accessory. Neo then pointed at Drake before putting her hand to her mouth, thumb pointing to the lips, and tilting her head back. The three girls understood the message, "I would have recommended you if you asked, you did a pretty good job against Hercules?"

"That is something I would rather not relive," Emerald responded, "Besides, we are supposed to keep quiet about that topic?"

"What, he's dead…again…or whatever." Drake said before she finished her drink, "…I want another shot." She said before stumbling away and heading for the entrance of the ballroom.

Jekyll and Neo walked over to the others, "In her state of …inebriation," Jekyll spoke up, "She said I was her recommendation for Grand Order."

"Aa!" Fran said in congratulation.

"Good for you," Emerald added on.

Neo smiled as she held Jekyll's hand tighter.

"That's awesome," Nora responded, "Wait, did she pick you before or after she got drunk?" She said with everyone staring at her, Jekyll gaining a look of worry on his face, "…What?"

 _Ruby._

Inside the ballroom of the mansion, the massive area was filled with tables and chairs were students and professors were conversing. In the far back of the ballroom was a stage with a large monitor on display but was turned off at the moment. Ruby, Elizabeth, and Astolfo sat at a table. The two girls wore matching the red dress, while the svelte paladin had on the white tuxedo with a pink thread lining. Each sat in their chair with a glass of red wine. While Astolfo sipped, he noticed the other two just staring at their glasses, "Come you, this is a time to celebrate." He before patting Ruby on the back, "Besides, Iskandar said you could drink tonight, so it's okay."

"I know, but I still don't think I will ever like wine," Ruby responded.

"Come on, we're adults here," Elizabeth said as she took a large sip from her glass. However, her eyes widened in mid-sip as she started to cough. As she cleared her throat, she turned to see Ruby and Astolfo with an uneasy smile, "…its taste bitter." She said as she wiped her eyes.

"Well, if you had a sip, I might as well try a bit." Ruby said as Astolfo giggled, "I mean, my sister might flip out if she found out I drank this tho." Suddenly, Astolfo pulled the glass away from Ruby's lips.

"M-Maybe this is isn't such a good idea, you don't need this," Astolfo said with an uneasy laugh.

Suddenly, he looked to see Taiga take the drink out of his hands. She wore a black suit and pants, her chest partly exposed, "He's right, you shouldn't drink this." She said as Li Shuwen walked beside her. He wore an open red coat and black pants, his chest fully exposed, "Just sit back and relax." Taiga said before sipping the wine and walking away, Li laughing as they walked.

"She's right Ruby," The silver eyed girl turned to see Weiss addressing her, walking up the rest of team France to sit at the table. The heiress wore a light grayish-blue dress with top sleeves and blue charm on her chest. Marie wore a black gown dress with a short skirt front. She also had on black gloves and ribbons in her hair, as well as a blue charm neckless. d'Eon wore a dress which was one side black, while other has patterned with back and white squares. His face was red as he sat down next to Marie. Sanson wore his normal attire, not seeing a reason to change, "You shouldn't drink at your age." Weiss said as Ruby smiled, "It could lead you to make some bad decisions, like putting on that hideous pink outfit again."

"Hey, I picked out that dress for her," Elizabeth spoke up in resentment.

"I stand by what I say," Weiss responded pridefully, "As her teammate, I couldn't have her come to his event wearing that."

"Thanks again for the dress Weiss," Ruby responded, "But, did it have to come with those heels."

"They match, you'll get used walking in them," Weiss responded with Ruby having an uneasy smile, causing Marie to giggle.

"I am so happy you two are here, it feels like just yesterday when you arrive," Marie spoke up.

"I know, but a lot has happened." Ruby responded, her mind going back to the day she arrived at Chaldea, getting her class, her meeting with her roommate, running into her friend's roommates, sparring with others, meeting Lobo, befriending Lobo, making his weapon, training with Iskandar, everything, "I met so many cool people here," Her voice then went soft as she remembered what she learned about herself and the reality marble she had, "Even people I thought I'd never see again."

"In any case, tonight is when we see the fruits of your labor." Astolfo said with a wink, "If Iskandar doesn't pick you for the Grand Order this year, he's made a grave mistake."

"Well, I've only worked with him for a month." Ruby commented, "He could pick another rider, like you."

"Oh no, he can't." Marie commented, "I made it a rule for my team not to participate in the Grand Order, it's too violent of a competition for us."

"I can't disagree, fighting just isn't my thing," Astolfo said as he put his right hand on her chest, "I still have a little scar from that fight with Archer and Cinder."

Sanson then looked over to Elizabeth, "Where is the rest of your team?"

"Tamamo and her sister are having another disagreement about something I don't care about somewhere else. Altera is packing to go help fix up some fishing town, saying she doesn't need to enter this year anyway." Elizabeth said before pointing off to the opposite side of the ballroom, "And Nero is there, talking to Archer."

 _Archer._

"For the last time," Archer said to Nero as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He wore a black suit with a two-part coattail, white gloves, and a red tie. Nero had a white dress with her chest exposed, only protected by two vertical straps attached to a golden necklace. A long red cloth was attached to golden rings around her wrists as she held a rose in her left hand, "I am not a waiter." Archer responded.

"Then where is the wine?" Nero responded, "I heard they just ran out, but they still have to be serving something." She asked with him pointing off to the bar. Behind the counter was Kintoki, whose hair was now more patted down, as he was in the middle of shaking a beverage. He wore a black vest over a black shirt and purple tie, "That guy said he only makes one type of drink." Nero responded before sighing, "Forget it, I'll find a different waiter." She said as she walked away, Archer glaring at her.

"Rough night," Archer turned to see Cinder and Iri. The black-haired archer had on a midnight dress with black gloves that run up her forearms, while the white-haired lady had on a palm white sundress in the same pattern. Iri had a glass of a yellow drink with a salted rim and lime wedge in her hand, while Cinder had two, offering one to Archer. As he accepted it, he noticed Illya in Chole sitting at a table. Illya's dress matched that of her mother's while Chole's resembled Cinder's. As he turned back to Cinder, she sighed, "Your mother's idea, not mine." She said with Iri smiling as she closed her eyes.

"Thanks," Archer said as looked at the concoction, "What's this called?"

"Field of Gold," Cinder answered looking back at Kintoki, "That all he said he knew how to make."

"Of course," he said with a tired voice before taking a sip.

"Shirou!" He heard someone, call his name, causing him to slightly chock on his drink. He turned to discover Ishtar, who wore a red dress with her hair tied up in a ponytail, "Where have you been?"

"Busy." Archer commented, "While I'm not the waiter, I'm in charge of managing this whole event since someone recommended having the announcements here this year." He said with Cinder noticing Iri giggling, "But, I think I have a minute, what do you want?"

"I want you to help me figure out who this BB is?" She said with Archer's eyes widening. Ishtar then looked over to BB, who wore a blue dress with golden patterns and an exposed midriff. On her hand was a good accessory as well, "I can't take it anymore, I need to know who she is." Ishtar said before looking back at Archer, "Do you know anything?"

"I…Rin-" Archer was saying until Cinder stood in his ways.

"Allow me." Cinder responded, "BB is android made form the Atlas diary entries of your deceases sister. She is part of a program to infiltrate the school, so the company can test the power of their robotics that can generate a self-persevering aura." She said before taking a sip of her Field of Gold. Archer had of a look of disbelief on his face.

As Ishtar looked at Cinder is pure befuddlement, Iri looked at her drink, wondering just how much alcohol was put into their beverages, "…Forget it, I will find out the truth on my own." Ishtar said before walking away, Cinder smirking as she left, taking another sip of her drink. She then smirked as she looked back at Archer.

"That was a little risky, don't you think?" He whispered to her in resentment.

"Possibly," Cinder said with a smile, "At least it got her off your back for a bit." Archer sighed before looking at his mother, who giggled as she looked back at him.

 _Mercury_

Just outside the ballroom was a path to a balcony, but the only one standing there was Mercury. He wore a black suit as he looked off into the distance, his eyes focused as he tightened his fist, "Just where are?" he said to himself.

"Who?" A familiar female voice called to him.

Mercury did not turn back, just chucked to himself, "Hey Atalanta," he said as he turned around, "I was nothing, I just-" Suddenly, he was caught off guard by the lioness Faunus' attire. She wore barely anything, only a black leather with yellow lining on her wrist, matching her choker bra, and panties. She also had on a pair of red floaties on her arms and a blue and orange long skirt, but only cover her backside, "W-wow." He said as he began to blush, "You look amazing."

"Really?" Atalanta said as she also began to blush, "I didn't know if this was something you liked."

"No, it looks great." Mercury said as he smiled, "I like when a girl isn't afraid to show a little skin." He said, but she had a look of confusion on her face, causing him to become confused. Suddenly, as he was seeing Atalanta wear was changing. The Lioness faunus now had on a black vest and red tie over a white long sleeve shirt. She now had on a back long skirt that was exposed in the front, showing off her wearing a miniskirt and black boots. "What?" Mercury thought to himself before he noticed Emerald in the distance, smirking as she looked at him, "That little-" he said to himself before he remembered what he did earlier, "…I guess we're even now."

"What are you talking about?" Atalanta asked.

"Nothing." Mercury responded, "Just, you look good." As he looked behind her he saw Jack and Nursery Rhyme. The little girl assassin wore a frilly black dress with a black rose in the right side of her hair, while the book girl wore her normal outfit, but it was a baby blue color and white over the normal black. Both turn to see Mercury, a smile on each of their faces, "Hey kids." Mercury said as he knelt, hugging each of them as Atalanta smiled.

 _Jaune._

Back in the ballroom, Pyrrha and Karna stood across Jaune and Mash in a casual conversation. The shielders wore a black suit with yellow lining and a light pink sundress respectively. The red-haired warrior wore a sleeveless red evening gown, while the pale-skinned lancer wore an open red long coat over a black suit with a golden threaded tie, "Uhh," Jaune said as he looked past Karna, "I think someone is glaring at you." He said as Pyrrha looked, seeing Arjuna in a white vest, tie, and pants over a blue-collar shirt.

"I could say the same," Karna responded to Jaune, causing him to turn around. He then noticed Lancelot glaring at him, radiating a black aura through his armor, "I don't think he likes you."

"Oh…," Jaune said with a line of sweat coming down his face, taking a sip of his drink.

"He doesn't hate you, he is just being protective," Mash assured Jaune as he finished his drink.

"I don't know, the day after I told him about us, our training got about ten times harder." He commented back, "Half the time, I thought he was trying to kill me."

"What about the other half?" Karna asked.

"He was trying to see if he could break all of my bones without killing me," Jaune responded.

"…I see," Karna said before he took a sip of his drink.

"Well, at least you got a lot of training in on this exchange program." Pyrrha commented with a smile, "You do look like you got stronger."

"Really!?" Jaune responded, "Thanks."

Suddenly, Zhuge Liang made his voice heard over the loudspeakers of the ballroom, "If I can have your attention please." He said as Yang and her group came in, sitting down at the adjacent table to Ruby's. Achilles group sat at a far-off table, with Mercury's group sitting at the same one. Nora's group also entered, sitting at the same table Pyrrha's group went to. Archer, Cinder, and Iri sat where Chloe and Illya were. Zhuge Liang then walked onto the stage a microphone in hand as he wore his normal attire, "Tonight is a very important moment in the land of Apocrypha, as we announce our combatants for this year's Grand Order." He said as the monitor turned on showing a white screen separated into four sections, each having eight octagons forming a circle in them. In each octagon was a symbol representing one of the classes a person was put in. Going from the top and down clockwise, the pattern was Saber, Archer, Lancer, Caster, Assassin, Rider, Berserker, and a final symbol that meant Extra. "Due to the transfer program leading to so many new additions to our school for the time. We have decided to hold four rounds of the Grand Order this year."

"Four rounds?" Jaune said to himself before turning to Mash, "And eight people are picked to a round." He said with her nodding, "Then that means…"

"Thirty-two students fighting," Nora said as she did the math for him, Fran smiling and nodding, while Jaune had a look slight confusion at her teammate's pride.

 _Round one._

The upper right section expanded to the full size of the screen, "Before I explain this year's rules and battlefield, I will showcase each round's fighters." Zhuge Liang said as then turned to the monitor, "This will be the first-round participants in the Grand Order."

The embalms of the classes slowly became portraits, starting with Saber. For the first round, Nora's eyes widened as she saw her image on display, "I'm in!?" the orange-haired saber asked her roommate to her right.

"Au." Fran said with a smile, "Ua."

"Really, Moriarty recommended me?" Nora said as she smiled, more eager than before "Oh, this is going to be fun."

The second emblem showed itself, as the archer, Ishtar showed up. However, she was unsurprised as she crossed her arms and smiled, "I already knew I would be chosen before I got here. Once I win this, there is nothing holding me back to a part of my life." She said the last part to herself, but Archer had overheard that claim.

The third emblem showed itself as the Lancer, revealing it to be Kiyohime, "What, but she was a berserker?" Nora said to as she looked back to Kiyohime, who was overjoyed as she hugged Ren.

"Aa," Fran said to Nora.

"Oh, she did a class change also," Nora said.

"Are you worried about fighting her?" Emerald asked Nora, "Your first battle didn't end so well."

"That was ages ago." Nora responded with a grin, "This time, it's payback."

The fourth emblem revealed itself as the Caster, showcasing an image of Tamamo no Mae, causing Elizabeth to sigh, "Oh boy, she probably thinks that if she participates and wins, she can just make herself the new leader." She said to herself in boredom.

The fifth emblem revealed itself as the assassin, showing an image of Jekyll. He made no reaction as he already knew this outcome. However, as the rider emblem showed itself, he saw the image of Neo show up on screen, "Wait, I have to fight you?" he said as he turned to Neo, who smirked as she changed the orientation of her eye color.

In the distance, Medb stood next to Cu Chulainn. The pink-haired queen wore a black business casual outfit with a white scarf and pink undershirt. While the blue-haired lancer had on a navy-blue blazer over a white shirt and jeans, "What do you think of my recommendation Cu," Medb asked, "I have made sure to give her everything she would need to win this Grand Order."

"And if you win." Cu Chulainn asked, "What would you wish for?"

"Isn't it obvious," Medb seductively said as she placed her right hand on his chest, whispering to him, "I wish for you to be mine."

Cu Chulainn then sighed as he took a step back away from her, "If you wish for something like that, it won't happen." He said as he looked back at Neo, "But, I'm sad I can't watch your student in action. I couldn't even recommend my own one for this year." He said before turning back to Medb, "The Headmaster wants me to head the volunteer mission to rebuild the town that was stuck by Grimm." He said with Medb pouting as she looked at him.

The seventh emblem revealed itself as the berserker, showing Tamamo Cat, "Oh," Elizabeth said in a slight shock, "I guess those two can finally settle the score once and for all."

The final emblem showed itself representing the extra class, reveling BB as the final member of round one. Archer looked over to see BB standing against a window, "I forgot, she was considered a Mooncancer Class, a very rare extra class to be put in."

"But why would someone like her want to be in Grand Order?" Chole commented.

"It's possible it is not her goal," Cinder responded, "But the goal of Atlas to show some type of pride in the power of their creations." She said with Archer looking back at Ishtar, who had a look of anger as she now glared at the finals for the round one, "I would imagine she is not happy fighting her in the Grand Order." Cinder said before she took a sip of her drink.

 _Round two._

The screen then shifted to the upper left side now showcasing a blank slate for the emblems, "The next round of combatants will be shown." Zhuge Liang announced.

As before the first combatant has shown was the saber, this time being the Weiss. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at her own portrait, "Weiss, why aren't you happy?" Ruby asked her teammate, "You're the first of our team to be picked for Grand Order."

"She's right," a male voice answered. The group looked to see it was Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The King of Heroes wore a white jacket over a blue shirt and jeans, while the ambiguous person wore black leather arm sleeves and a shortcut top. Enkidu also wore baggy pants that exposed the thighs, "With this, you have the opportunity to make everyone call you The Queen of White." Gilgamesh said as he glanced at the monitor, seeing himself revealed as the archer of that round, "But, you will have to get past me to do so." He then looked over to see Yang waving over to him, causing him to smile as he walked over to sit next to her.

"I thought you already won this thing?" Yang asked, "Why are you going in again?"

"I can't let some mongrel gain such a title so easily." Gilgamesh responded, "When possible, I like to make sure people know their place in this world."

Yang gigged as she looked at him, "You're such a prick." She said before smirking, "But it's a good thing you're cute."

"What were you two doing?" Mordred asked Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

"He was helping me pick out tomatoes." Enkidu answered with Mordred hanging a look of confusion, "…It's a secret." Enkidu and Gilgamesh then looked at the monitor to see the next lancer for round two, seeing it as the Pyrrha, "Well, that is interesting." Enkidu said as Gilgamesh looked over to Pyrrha's table, seeing the red-haired warrior glaring back at him.

"Wow, my friend, teammate, and boyfriend are all in the same battle." Yang commented, "I don't know who to root for." She said with Gilgamesh looking back to him rising an eyebrow. She responded in kind.

The next member to be revealed was the caster, but to Archer's shock, it was his little sister, "Illya!?" He said as he turned to her, seeing a confident smile on her face.

"Interesting," Cinder added, "I didn't think someone so young could be recommended for such a tournament."

"I'll have you know I am full of surprises," Illya responded as she raised her head high, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.

The next class revealed was for the assassin, but to Mercury's shock, it was himself, "What?" He said to himself, "Who put me in this?"

"Me," Mercury heard someone say to him, causing him to turn around. He looked to discover Caren, too bored to have changed her outfit, "Since you haven't been to the infirmary lately, I assume you got stronger in your time here."

"You realize I am going to be fighting a person that sent me there twice before!?" Mercury responded, "Why would you do this to me?"

"I want a new job," Caren responded, "With my wish, I can swap positions at this academy with Nightingale. I will become an advisor while she returns to medical, which is something she wouldn't mind." She then smirked as she looked at him, "Even if I lose, I'll at least have some interesting patients for once."

Mercury turned back to the table, putting his hands on his head, "Cheer up," Jack said as he looked over at her, "We are going to be rooting for you." She said with a smile, causing him to do the same.

Mercury then looked up to see who the rider in his round would be, discovering it was Ushiwakamaru, "Oh that girl again." He said as he tried to find her. He found her looking at him a few tables away, wearing a kimono with a large red ribbon. Next to her was Kato, who had her hair down and a short red gi, "I still don't know her deal, but that freak she hangs out with keep trying to sneak into my room." He said with Kato trying not to make eye contact.

As the berserker for round two was announced, it was Nobu, who sat with her team at a far-off table. The Grimm archer wore her normal outfit, minus the hat. Next to her was Okita, who wore her pink and brown gi. Medusa wore a light purple evening gown, while Penthesilea had on a black dress with a tiny yellow bow at her side, her contacts back on, "Ha, I knew I would be in one of these?"

"Who picked you for Grand Order?" Penthesilea asked.

"Shakespeare did," Nobu responded, "He was saying my fighting would be the inspiration for the ending of his newest play." She then patted Okita on the back, who was pouting, "Oh come on, I knew you still hate the fact I didn't watch your win against the black cat." Nobu said as she glanced over at Weiss, "But, you have to see me melt that Ice Queen."

"No, I can't," Okita responded, "Medusa and I are going to help rebuild the town, we won't be able to watch." She said with Nobu having a look of sadness. As she looked down, Okita placed a wrapped box in front of her, "But, I did get you a good luck charm." She said with Nobu already opening the present. Inside was a new hat, one almost identical to the one she wore before. The Grimm archer put the hat one, a sense of completion filling her body as Okita smiled.

The last member revealed for the extra class was an Avenger, showing off Edmond, "Oh great," Cleo said in a sigh, "He really wants to make people call by his titles for real now." She then scanned the area in confusion, "Where is he anyway?"

 _Round three._

The lower left section of the monitor highlighted, but as the headmaster talked, Mordred just focused on the saber emblem. After the image appeared, she smiled as she saw she was fighting in round three. Yang patted her roommate on the back, "Congratulations." Yang said, "I guess Shishigou kept this word about picking you." Mordred then smiled as she looked back to see who she would be fighting. However, that smile faded as she saw who the archer of round three was, Tomoe, "Wow." Yang said in shock, "You two are in the same fight, that's cool." She said with Tomoe nodding.

"Yeah…" Mordred said with an uneasy smile.

The next lancer shown was the idol faunus, "Wha…" Elizabeth said as she saw her face on the screen, "I was picked for Grand Order." She said as a big smile formed on her face, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She said as she jumped in joy, Ruby hugging her in shared excitement.

In the distance, Glynda and Medea watched the two students cheer from a distance. The Head of Recourses wore a light violet dress like her other attire, while Glynda wore her normal clothes, "So, she was your pick?" Medea asked with Glynda nodding, "She has always been quite of a hassle at this school, especially to her team."

"I have worked with her more than her team in my time here. Her personality does need work, but her determination to improve is almost endless." Glynda responded before she adjusted her glasses, "She also passed in developing a type of battlefield attack, so I knew I had to recommend her for Grand Order." She said with Medea smirking as she watched a small smile for on Glynda's face.

Mordred looked to see the caster she would fight in her round, seeing it as Nitocris. The Canine faunus' ears pointed up as she smiled in joy. As the assassin was revealed right after, she then learned that Cleo was also in the same round, "Oh cool, you four are all in the same fight." Yang said as she saw the rider class announcement, showing Achilles as the next combatant, "And you're going to be fighting that guy, I heard he is pretty tough." She said as she smirked at the berserker announcement, seeing herself as the fighter, "But I know that person is tougher." She grinned as she knew who recommended her, "Thank you, Martha."

"We're all in the same round?" Nitocris commented, "What are the odds of that?"

"I don't know, but that just makes this all the more fun." Yang said before turning back to the prideful knight, "Right Mor."

"Right…" Mordred said as she stood up, "I'll be right back, just need to use the bathroom." She said with a look of worry on Yang's face forming.

The last member as the extra class was a shielder, Jaune seeing his face on the monitor, "I was picked!?" He said in shock, "Who?"

"I think my dad mentioned he was going to recommend you." Mash said with a smile, "See, that means he likes you if he wants you to participate."

"Or," Karna added on, "He wants to have you suffer by having you fight other powerful opponents in a Battle Royal. One of whom is a lady with a particular reputation at this school for what she did to the member of Team France." He said with the table going silent, Jaune having a look of terror fill his eyes. Pyrrha lightly nudged Karna with her elbow, "…Or he could be proud of your train, that too." He said Jaune having an uneasy laugh.

 _Round Four._

"This will be the last round for The Grand Order this year," Zhuge Liang said as the lower right side the screen became the major focus. The final saber was revealed a Nero, causing the Empress of Roses to smile as she raised her head high. The archer following her was Cinder, who had a slight smirk as she looked back at Iri, who finished the rest of her drink.

The next lancer was Enkidu, causing Gilgamesh to turn to his friend, "How unfortunate, we are not in the same round." The King of Heroes said with a smile, "That would have been an exciting battle."

The final round's caster was shown with the image of Nursery Rhyme on the screen, causing Jack to hug her book friend. The final assassin was shown reveling Kato, who nodded as Ushiwakamaru smiled.

As Ruby watched to see the final rider shown for the event, her eyes widened as she saw her image on display. Before she could say a word, a large hand patted the top of her forehead. She looked to see Iskander standing behind her, where a black vest and pants over a white shirt, "You did not think I would reward all of your hard work," The King of Conquerors said with a grin, "Together, we can win your round in this year's Grand Order." He said with her nodding, a look of determination shining through her silver eyes.

"Way to go, Ruby looks like you were picked as well." Yang said before looking to see who the berserk against her sister was going to be, seeing the familiar face of Penthesilea, "Oh, I fought her before, she crazy." She then looked back to Ruby, "Be careful with her."

"I will," Ruby said with a nod before looking back to Cinder's table, "But, I think I'm more worried about her."

"Yeah," Astolfo added on, "Our last match against her and Archer didn't go so well."

Cinder looked to see who the final extra class member was going to be in her round, discovering it was a ruler in Amakusa, "Oh that guy," Archer commented, "Kirei must have recommended him before he left, thinking this was the year I would fight in the tournament as my father's choice."

"I see," Cinder responded, "Well, I'll make sure to give him your condolences in the match."

Zhuge Liang cleared his throat before the screen showed all four section for each round of fighters in the Grand Order. The screen then showed a blank middle section, "Now to go over the rules." He said as an off red symbol appeared at the center of the blank part of the screen, "To add in the students, staff members will be given a command seal." He said with most of the transfer students having a look of confusion, "These Command Seals are a direct link of magical energy from recommender and the recommended student. It allows the user to impart part of their own energy into the fighter, bettering their chances of winning. It also can be used to issue a direct order onto the student to follow, even to retreat from the match if necessary. Participates who have won a Grand Order prior or do not have their recommender present with have forgone the use of a Command Seal."

Weiss then looked to see Semiramis walk onto the stage a smile on her face, wearing a dark brown evening gown, "As to help adjust our new transfer students to the tournament, I was in charge this year's Grand Order battlefield." She said as the middle section of the monitor changed, showing a floating fortress in the sky, "So, this year's battlefield will be, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Participants fight here, while the recommender will be on the ground, watching and communicating with their fighter from inside this academy."

"That looks almost like the Vytal Festival Arena," Pyrrha noticed.

Zhuge Liang resumed control of the announcements, "Fighters will be placed under a magic rune that will transport them into a safe area on the ground if they are sent out of the fortress or are unable to continue fighting." He then sighed before concluding, "The rounds will begin one after the other tomorrow at noon. While this is your only time to prepare, I would encourage you to use this time to relax for the coming battles." Zhuge Liang then left the stage with applause filling the ballroom.

 _Weiss._

As Semiramis left, she went out to the balcony. There, she saw Amakusa with a black suit on, "Quite a bold move recommending a student the same year you where tasked with the battlefield destination." He said with her smirking. However, the depraved beauty felt a cold aura behind her, turning to see Weiss with her arms crossed, "And her is your choice now."

"I wanted to make it a surprise for you Weiss," Semiramis said with Wiess pouting, "But it seems you are less than satisfied."

"I would have liked to have picked if I had mastered summoning," Weiss responded, "This feels like a pity choice."

"I assure you, it is not." Semiramis responded, "Your skill is much more vast than you give yourself credit for. While you have not mastered summoning, you are far more trained in magic now than since you first arrived." She then grinned as she tilted her head to the right, "You were an obvious choice for me in this year's Grand Order."

Wiess sighed as she uncrossed her arms, "Then what do you hope to get out of this if we win." Weiss asked, "What is your wish?"

"Me, I would like to be promoted to the headmaster of this academy." Semiramis responded, causing Amakusa to smirk, "I feel I am overdue for a promotion. And you Weiss, what would you want?"

"What I want is what I can't wish for, I have to earn it." Weiss responded, "And you know what that is."

"Then you should consider this an extended lesson in training," Amakusa interjected, "This is an experience that could awaken your hidden potential." Weiss glared at him for a few seconds before scoffing, walking away from the two. Semiramis turned back to Amakusa with a smirk, "Such a cold stare." He said with her giggling.

 _Blake_

Blake walked around the ballroom alone as she looked for someone. Eventually, she found Chiron looking out the window wearing a black suit with his horsetail still protruding out, "Uh, Professor Chiron." She said getting his attention.

"Yes Blake," He said as he turned to her, noticing a look of sorrow in her eyes, "You are upset that you were not chosen for Grand Order like your friends, aren't you?"

"I know you already told me you were picking Achilles this year," Blake responded, "But, I didn't realize I fell so far behind my team." She then looked down at her hands, "I was here for as long as they were, but I didn't get any stronger."

"Blake…" Chiron said before took a breath, "You had a goal back in Vale, to show the value of faunus lives in society as equals, something Apocrypha already accomplished." He said with her looking up at him, "With that, what would you have wished for in this Grand Order then?" he asked, but Blake did not have an answer, "You are not weak, you are someone who wishes to help others find joy in this world. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Blake responded, causing him to smile, causing her to smile as well, "But, what do I do now?"

"I had heard the other transfer student Ren was going to help a village rebuild after a Grimm attack." Chiron responded, "Perhaps you could give them a hand." He said with her nodding.

At the opposite end of the ballroom at the bar, Achilles looked over to see Chiron talking with Blake, "Poor girl," he said as he took a drink of a Field of Gold.

"She was weak," Achilles turned to Penthesilea talking to him, "He would have been a fool to pick her when she lost to Okita." In the distance, Okita scowled at her teammate for that remark. The berserker queen then placed her hand on her chest, "I was one chosen, not her. And when I win," Penthesilea then pointed at Achilles, "I will make my wish for a one-on-one battle against you in front of the entire academy, so I can humiliate you in front of everyone."

"Well, you're going to have to win your Grand Order first." Achilles said before he took a sip of his drink, "And you have some pretty tough competition."

"All will fall before me," Penthesilea declared, causing him to giggle, "What is so funny!?"

"Nothing, just thinking about my opponents," Achilles responded, "I mean, one of them is the girl that beat you, isn't it?"

"It was a draw!" Penthesilea said as her eyes turned blood red, "I am ten times stronger than I was then, and I will destroy her sister in Grand Order."

"Really," Achilles responded, "Then, I better not lose my Grand Order."

"Oh," Penthesilea said in intrigue, "Tell me, what is your wish going to be?"

"I want to travel to Vale for a bit, you know, see the other side of the world of the remnant." He then glanced back to where the cat faunus was, "Plus, it would let me spend some more time with Blake, she's a cool girl. Or you never know, I might meet someone else there." He then looked back to see Penthesilea glaring at him, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Penthesilea responded, "And I am going to enjoy destroying you after I win Grand Order." She said before walking away from the conversation. Achilles had a look of confusion on his face.

 _Yang._

Yang had a look of worry as she scanned the area, looking for her roommate, "Mor?" She said to herself before standing up, turning to Cleo, "I'll be right back, I'm going to check on Mordred." She said with Cleo nodding. Yang walked away and headed down the adjacent hallway towards the restroom.

As Yang found the bathroom, she was about to enter. However, she stopped herself in front of the door, hearing someone, "Damn it!" the person inside the bathroom shouted, but Yang knew who it was. She opened the door in a jar, seeing Mordred in front of the mirror. She glared at herself in the reflection, "Why does it have to be them." She said as her eyes began to stress, "Why couldn't it have been seven random people I didn't know, why does it have to be my friends." she then put her right hand over her eyes, "If I lose, I lose my Father forever." Yang's eyes widened as she saw rivers of tears run down Mordred's face, "But if I win, all of their hard work was for nothing, and I would be the one that ruined their chance to get their wish granted." Mordred then moved her hand away from her face, clenching it into a fist, "This isn't fair, this isn't fair, this isn't fair!" Mordred said before punching her reflection, breaking the glass, "Damn it!"

"Mor…" Yang said to herself, silently closing the door, "That's why you said what you did, but you didn't think we would be in the same round." As Yang walked, she found Gilgamesh standing in the middle of the hallway, "Hey Goldie." She said with an uneasy smile.

"You seem distraught," He commented, "Does it have to do with the Son of the King of Knight. Or does it have to do with the fact we have still not located your mother."

"Option one," Yang responded, "Chances are, we're going to have to fight each other in the tournament thing."

"Yes, you will" Gilgamesh responded as they walked, "The event is broadcast all over the region, most likely The King of Knights herself will be watching from wherever she is."

"That the thing," Yang responded, "Mor was vague on what happened, but I think that if she entered the Grand Order and won, her mom would come back."

"But if she lost," Gilgamesh finished, "The King of Knights would be gone from her life." He said with Yang nodding, "That is a predicament you are in."

"What would you do if you were in my shoes?" Yang asked.

"I would fight her at my full power, I owe her that much," The King of Heroes responded, "But, I am not a friend to her like you are."

"You don't have a lot of friends, don't you?" Yan said with a giggle.

"I don't," Gilgamesh responded in kind, "Enkidu liked to taunt me, 'Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? My friend, when I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I can't help but shed tears.'" He then turned back to Yang, "But after I mentioned that I was dating you, those words seemed to vanish."

Yang giggled as she looked back at him, "You just getting better at being a smooth talk, aren't you?" She said with him smirking. As they reentered the ballroom, they discovered a slow song was playing. In response, Gilgamesh offered his hand to Yang, who accepted it with a smile.

As others began to dance, Nora looked over to Ren with Kiyohime. The draconic girl smiling as she looked into Ren's eyes. Nora smiled, wondering what could have been, but not for long, as she saw that Ren was smiling too. In response, Nora stood up with Fran, taking her hand as they danced together. Neo danced with Jekyll, who still had a look of worry as he thought about tomorrow, but his mind forgot that as she leaned in to kiss him. Pyrrha danced with Karna, him holding on her sides as they swayed. Jaune led as he danced with Mash, but still glance over to see Lancelot glaring at them, watching the male Ark's hands intensity form a distance. Jack shy fully asked to dance with Mercury, who nodded in response. As he held onto her hands, Jack stood on his shoes, smiling and giggling as he moved, even Mercury chuckling as he did. Emerald walked over to Robin, her face red as she offered her hand, not realizing it was slightly sweaty. Despite that, Robin smiled as he accepted it, causing her to smile in overjoy.

Archer and Cinder where in the middle of the dance, Iri smiling as she watched, "Your mother recommending me for this certainly was unexpected."

"Yes," Archer responded with a chuckle, "So if you win, what is your wish?"

"You should know this about me by know Archer," Cinder responded with a smirk, "I don't wish for things I can't acquire with my two hands. If it is something that I can simply wish for to get, it is not worth my time to go after."

"Regretless," Archer said as he grinned, "Good luck."

In the corner of the ballroom, Tesla and Edison walked over to Medea. The Head of Communications wore a blue tux with his mechanical apparatuses removed for the event. While the of physics professor wore a white tux with a red bowtie and blue buttons, "Excuse me," Tesla asked, "Where is Miss Goodwitch is?" Edison said to finish the statement. Medea pointing at Glynda already dancing with Vlad. The blond lancer wearing a stylish black suit with his hair parted to the left side of his face.

"Him!?" both men responded in shock, "What does he have that I don't."

"He has been training her students, working with her in some co-teaching classes, and is actually handsome." Medea said as she glared at them, "What have you two done lately?" She said with neither of them having a positive answer, causing her to sigh before she turned back to Glynda's dance, noticing a slight smile on the professor from Beacon's face.

Weiss smiled as she looked over to see Blake dancing with Achilles. She then looked over to see Nobu pulling Okita onto the dance floor, a big grin on her face as the sakura saber had a look of embarrassment. However, the heiress glanced back at the balcony to see Amakusa and Semiramis dancing out of sight of everyone else, causing a look of confusion on her face, "Come on," Weiss heard Maire speak up, "Let's dance." She said as she up, pulling d'Eon towards the dancefloor, the feminine man profusely blushing.

Weiss then looked over to Sanson, who had a similar deadpan look to the one she was giving him, "…" a long silence fell between them as Astolfo stood up, "Okay then, this is awkward," He said as she turned to Ruby, "Would you care to dance?"

"What-I-what?" Ruby said in a panic, "I-I." She said as her face turned slightly red, "Wha-what about Eliza-" she said as she turned to the idol faunus, who was sleeping as her face was red, the cup of wine next to her was empty. She then turned back to the svelte paladin, "I uh I don't know how to dance."

"Come on, live a little," Astolfo said as he pulled Ruby out of her seat but her right hand, causing her to blush more, "And don't worry, I'll lead." He said as he placed his hands on her waist, causing her to shiver, "Now, place your hands on my shoulders." He said with Ruby slowly following his instructions, her face turning redder. "Good, now if you want a kiss, just lean in." he said with Ruby's face turning fully red, causing him to giggle, "I'm kidding." He said before smiling, "But I am proud of you, making it this far is such a short time."

"Thanks, I owe a lot of it to you." Ruby said with a smile, a question coming to her mind, "Astolfo, why are you so nice to people you barely know?"

"I dunno," He responded with a smirk, "I guess the world is already Grimm and full bad people you can't trust. So, I thought I would be the opposite to balance things out a bit. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I can understand that," Ruby responded, "Thank you." She said as the song continued to play into the night.

At the other end of the ballroom, Doctor Roman and DaVinci danced in each other's arms. The beautiful woman wore a cardinal red dress with a blue underskirt. While the head of medical wore a teal green suit with white lining, "You really think it was a good idea to advocate more entries this year?" Doctor Roman asked her.

"The Headmaster agreed, It will make things safer here, and this way we aren't sending out smaller groups on missions during Grand Order," DaVinci reinforced, "The group that is going out to help the town is larger than the recommended amount, they should be able to protect the civilians even if another alter shows up."

"Don't jinx things like that." Doctor Roman said with a giggle.

"Don't worry Romani, when the time comes, I'll protect you." Da Vinci said with a wink, causing him to blush and look away as she giggled. However, she had a look of confusion as she scanned the area, "What's wrong?"

"I was just wondering," He said as he turned back to her, "Where's Jeanne?"

 _Jeanne._

Back at the academy, Jeanne entered the lab of Doctor Roman and DaVinci, discovering her alter resting on her back with her arms on the back of her head, her legs crossed, "Oh," Jalter said with disdain in her voice, "You again." She then sat up as Jeanne walked over to her, "What's wrong, didn't want to go to the dance with all your friends and brother?" She said, noticing Jeanne in her normal attire.

"I choose not to go," Jeanne responded, "I knew I would not be picked this year."

"Of course, you did," Jalter responded with a grin, "What have you done lately, other than making me."

"…" Jeanne glared at her alter, "…They have almost decoded your genetic makeup, and can use that to find out who really made you." She said with Jalter smirked, "And then, they'll kill you."

"Yeah, I figured as much, just wondering how they're going to do is so they can still sleep at night." Jalter responded as she stretched, "But you, I'm going to haunt your nightmares for the rest of your life." She then walked to the edge of the barrier, a few inches away for Jeanne, "Promise me this, when they do kill me, you're there to look me in the eyes as I die, knowing that is what you made me for." She then had a sinister smile as she looked at herself, "Because you can rest assured, I would do the same for you."

"…What if you didn't have to die?" Jeanne asked.

"Huh?" Jalter responded.

"If you tell me the truth of who made you, and promise not to harm anyone, I can convince the academy to let you go." Jeanne offered with her alter's mouth in a small jar, "You don't have to die from my actions."

A second later, Jalter scoffed as she walked away, "No deal, you see, I'm not as much of a rule follower as you are. I made it a promise to myself to kill you, and I intend to keep that promise." Jalter then walked away, going back to laying on the floor, "So, why don't you just go away, live your life because you don't have much time left." Jeanne glared at her alter as she clenched her fist but released then as she sighed and turned around. "Before you go, however," Jalter spoke up as Jeanne stopped at the door, "You remember when you were a little kid, there was that one saber professor you liked."

"Siegfried?" Jeanne responded in confusion, "Don't you dare mention him-"

"That not the one," Jalter responded, causing Jeanne to go silent, "The other one, the one you knew when you were a little kid helping at the church, who you admired for his dedication. The one who vanished when you were twelve, he disappeared in the town that was hit by some massive explosion." Jalter then looked back at Jeanne, "What was his name?"

"His name was Gillies de Rais." Jeanne responded, causing Jalter to smirk, "Why?"

"No reason," Jalter responded, "I just like reminding myself how much of an idiot you really are." She said before fully shunning Jeanne. Jeanne then went quiet before she walked out of the room, as she did, the smirk vanished from Jalter's face.

As Jeanne exited she sighed as a look of sadness filled her eyes, "How can I save her?" She thought to herself as she walked down the halls. As she walked, she then noticed Edmond standing in front of her path, "Oh Count," She said in shock, "What are doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Saint of the Flag." He responded, "The announcement for Grand Order is underway, but here you are." He said with a grin on his face, "I already know I was recommended this year."

"That's great." Jeanne said with a smile, "Who recommended you."

"I have only three words," Edmond responded, "Gold is Good." He said with her giggling, knowing who he meant, "Now then, they are having the celebrations at that mansion. Are you going to leave now?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just not in the mood to attend," Jeanne responded.

"Then," Edmond asked, "What will you do?"

"All that I can do." Jeanne said with a slight smile forming on her face, "Wait, and hope." She said with the avenger having a slight smile on his face.

 **AN: And there you go, the set for Grand Order is now complete. This sets the stage for a lot of the future chapters to come, so I hope you are ready for them. I don't normally ask questions about my own story, but I am curious, which round are you looking forward to the most. While I have a bias to liking them all, round two is the one I am very excited to write. I also liked playing dress up with a lot of characters, showing off some of the fate formalwear, the prom outfits (Except Wiess, since hers was too similar to Yang's, I just went with her V5 outfit), and some other stuff I had to make up for the story.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	57. RWBY Servant Sheet Grand Order

**AN: Hey everyone, this is an update to the servant sheet I made a long time ago. This one adds some of the ways certain characters have changed and improved over time to get to Grand Order. It also includes the round breakdown for Grand Order, making it a little easier to follow who is in what round.**

 **Fate's Collide RWBY Servant Sheet**

Name: **Ruby Rose**

Roommate: Astolfo

Age: 15

Alignment: Neutral Good

Class: Rider

Strength: Rank D

Endurance: Rank C+

Magical Energy: Rank C

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank EX

Noble Phantasm:

Crescent Rose - Rank B - Anti-Army

Lobo, Wolf of Revenge – Rank A - Anti-Unit

Violet Gibbous - Rank C - Anti-Army

Silver Requiem of Relativity– Rank EX – Anti-Heart

Class Abilities:

Riding Skill B

Skills:

Rule of the Rose EX – Allows rose petals to manifest out of thin air upon reaching high speeds.

Sliver Contrails A – Those with Silver eyes have a higher affinity to their reality marbles upon manifestation. For Ruby, it manifests as the Silver Requiem of Relativity. The dimension creates a person who has lost their life but was held close to one who enters the reality marble. The being is shrouded in white, camouflaging them as they can move more freely than the living in this reality marble. A new being is made upon every casting, unless no target can be identified.

Name: **Weiss Schnee**

Roommate: Maria Antoinette

Age: 17

Alignment: Lawful Good

Class: Saber

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank A+

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank D

Noble Phantasm:

Myrtenaster - Rank B - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Item Construction C

Magic Resistance B

Skills:

Glyph A+ – Allows the user to create multiple types of magical symbols to aid them in combat variety. At Rank EX, the user can perform summons of fallen enemies.

Name: **Blake Belladonna**

Roommate: Atalanta

Age: 17

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank D

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank C

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank B

Noble Phantasm:

Gambol Shroud - Rank C - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Presence Concealment B

Skills:

Shadow Step B – Allows the user to create an identical copy of themselves to fool the opponent. At Rank B, the user can bind their shadow to element to increase their usefulness.

Name: **Yang Xiao Long**

Roommate: Mordred

Age: 17

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Class: Berserker

Strength: Rank A+++

Endurance: Rank A+

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank C

Luck: Rank E

Noble Phantasm:

Ember Celica - Rank B - Anti-Unit (Self)

Holy Brawler Fighting Style - Rank C+ - Anti-Unit (Self)

Class Abilities:

Mad Enhancement C

Skills:

Monstrous Strength A+ – The user has near superhuman levels of strength.

Dragon's Hair B – Allows the Mad Enhancement ability to be moved to Rank EX if the user losses a significant amount of hair. Side effect is the hair will glow in a golden light. At Rank A, hair does not need to be lost for effect to be activated. Also reduces the damage taken from fire-based attacks.

Just Saiyan B – Allows the user to increase their own strength equal to the damage taken in combat. Added effects include the user's hair become more luminescent.

Name: **Jaune Arc**

Roommate: Jeanne D' Arc

Age: 17

Alignment: Neutral Good

Class: Shielder

Strength: Rank C

Endurance: Rank B

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank D

Luck: Rank D

Noble Phantasm:

Crocea Mors - Rank D - Anti-Unit

Aura Healing Burst - Rank C - Anti-Unit and Anti-Unit Self

Class Abilities:

Magic Resistance B

Riding B

Skills:

Charisma B+ – Increase the strength of nearby allies during combat

Robust Health C – Damage taken is reduced and wounds heal far quicker than normal.

Name: **Pyrrha Nikos**

Roommate: Mash Kyrielight

Age: 17

Alignment: Lawful Good

Class: Lancer

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank A++

Magical Energy: Rank EX

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Divine Polarity Spear, Gae Akuno - Rank A - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Magic Resistance A

Skills:

Essene of Polarity A+ – Allows the user to manipulate the polarity of metals.

Eternal Arms Mastership B- – Can still make use of fighting style even when under the influence of some mental hinderance.

Name: **Lie Ren**

Roommate: Kiyohime

Age: 17

Alignment: True Neutral

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank C

Endurance: Rank E

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank D

Noble Phantasm:

Storm Flower - Rank D - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Presence Concealment C

Skills:

Absence of Negativity B – Allows the user to hide their negative emotion, effetely concealing them form Grimm.

Name: **Nora Valkyrie**

Roommate: Frankenstein

Age:17

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Class: Saber

Strength: Rank A

Endurance: Rank B

Magical Energy: Rank D

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank B-

Noble Phantasm:

Skewered Plasma Blade, Thunder Blade of Impalement - Rank B+ - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Mad Enhancement D

Magic Resistance B

Riding C

Skills:

Mad Translator A– Allows communication with those of the Mad Enhancement ability who have lost their sanity or ability to speak.

Monstrous Strength B+ – The user has near superhuman levels of strength.

Static Veins A – Allows the user to harness the power of electricity form inside their body. Can now pass electricity into her weapon to increase its damage.

Name: **Cinder Fall**

Roommate: Shirou Emiya (Archer)

Age: It says 21

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Class: Archer

Strength: Rank B

Endurance: Rank A

Magical Energy: Rank A++

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank C-

Noble Phantasm:

Burning Glass - Rank B - Anti-Unit.

Fall Maiden – Rank A – Anti-Fortress

Class Abilities:

Independent Action A

Magic Resistance E

Skills:

Affliction to Grimm C – Grimm don't target the individual and are less hostile around them.

Megalomaniac A – Hunger for power allows her the ability to learn, or even steal the personal skills or Noble Phantasms from almost anyone. Applies to below skills.

Trace Magic A – Can create her weapons normally made of Dust, but they loss their explosivity.

Familiar Magic B – The ability to create small animals through the use of her hair as a medium.

Name: **Mercury Black**

Roommate: Jack, acting as her caretaker.

Age: 17

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank A

Endurance: Rank C+

Magical Energy: Rank E

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank E-

Noble Phantasm:

Gale Striders - Rank C - Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Independent Action E

Presence Concealment E

Skills:

Battle Continuation B – Allows the users to survive otherwise fatal blows or be awake when one would normally be unconscious.

Name: **Emerald Sustrai**

Roommate: Robin Hood

Age: 17

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Class: Assassin

Strength: Rank D

Endurance: Rank E

Magical Energy: Rank B

Agility: Rank B

Luck: Rank E

Noble Phantasm:

Alcanzar Estrellas - Rank E - Anti-Unit

Hallucination – Rank C – Anti-Mind and Anti-Unit

Class Abilities:

Presence Concealment A

Skills:

NP Enhancement D – Allows the user to boost the effectiveness of their hallucination Rank to B, allowing for multiple people to be affected by the hallucinations.

Name: **Neopolitan**

Roommate: Henry Jekyll

Age: 19

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Class: Rider

Strength: Rank C

Endurance: Rank C

Magical Energy: Rank B

Agility: Rank A

Luck: Rank B

Noble Phantasm:

Ombrello - Rank B - Anti-Unit

Ride assigned, but not authorized

Class Abilities:

Riding EX

Mad Enhancement E

Presence Concealment E

Skills:

Triple Class E – User has traits of a Rider, Berserker, and Assassin class character. However, one characteristic outweighs the others immensely.

Knowledge of Respect and Harmony D – Can allow attacks to become unreadable for any opponent to follow.

Insanity E – The user is mentally insane. At Rank E, absence of speech occurs, but the ability to speak is still possible from the individual

Name: **Glynda Goodwitch**

Roommate: None

Age: 28

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Class: Caster

Strength: Rank E

Endurance: Rank D

Magical Energy: Rank A+

Agility: Rank C

Luck: Rank C

Noble Phantasm:

Rozdzka - Rank D - Anti-World

Class Abilities:

Territory Creation A

Skills:

Recreation A – Allows the user to full reconstruct a damaged area to its complete form.

Light Magic Manipulation B – Using certain spell, can use white light as a weapon.

 **Grand Order Round Synopsis**

 **Round One**

Saber: Nora

Archer: Ishtar

Lancer: Kiyohime

Rider: Neo

Caster: Tamamo No Mae

Assassin: Jekyll

Berserker: Tamamo Cat

Extra/Mooncancer: BB

 **Round Two**

Saber: Weiss

Archer: Gilgamesh

Lancer: Pyrrha

Rider: Ushiwakamaru

Caster: Illya

Assassin: Mercury

Berserker: Nobu

Extra/Avenger: Edmond

 **Round Three**

Saber: Mordred

Archer: Tomoe

Lancer: Elizabeth

Rider: Achilles

Caster: Nitocris

Assassin: Cleopatra

Berserker: Yang

Extra/Shielder: Jaune

 **Round Four**

Saber: Nero

Archer: Cinder

Lancer: Enkidu

Rider: Ruby

Caster: Nursery Rhyme

Assassin: Kato

Berserker: Penthesilea

Extra/Ruler: Amakusa


	58. Chapter 55 - Self-destruction

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This makes the start of Grand Order competition with Round One. Sorry if it has been a while, these chapters take a little longer to put out. I wanted to also say thank you for all the support and encouragement on this story so far, we just passed 300 favorites on this story, that is insane to me. If you haven't already, please check out the TV Tropes page for this story, as a lot of work has been put into that as well. Prior this chapter, I broke down the RWBY Servant Sheet into two separate chapters, one after the first day and one after this chapter. A little note before this chapter starts, the breaks I used for the characters is replaced with their class, as well as the adding of the fate of the members in each round. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 55 – Self-destruction**

 _Saber._

The next day, Nora, Fran, and Moriarty entered a small room in the academy. As the orange haired Saber looked around, she noticed one of the walls was made of four TV screens, "It is from this room that we can see you fighting in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon." The mathematics professor stated to Nora.

"Cool." Nora said as she continued to look around the room, "And the others have similar rooms close by?"

"Au." Fran said with a nod, "Ua." She then said with a smile.

"Thanks, but I don't need luck." Nora responded as she formed her Plasma blade in her hands, "I have this." She then looked over to see Moriarty remove his righthand glove, noticing an odd red symbol on it, "Uh, aren't you a little old to get a tattoo?"

"This is no tattoo, it is the command seal you were informed about at the event." He said with her having a look of confusion, realizing she had already forgotten that detail, causing him to sigh, "With a command seal, I can issue a direct command to you to help in battle, even leading you part of my own power if needed."

"Oh, neat," Nora said as the screens lit up, showing a countdown from thirty seconds. "I guess that means it's about to start." She then looked over to see a magical seal on the ground, "And my guess is this is what will send me to that garden." She said with them nodding, causing her to walk over and stand on it. The seal began to glow as she waved goodbye, giving a wink before vanishing in a blue light.

After a split second, Nora discovered herself in middle of a hallway unlike the one at the academy. The decor was almost black and gold with dark red carpets as she looked around, "Hello?" Nora heard Moriarty speak in her ear, but she was in shock as she didn't have an earpiece, "Don't be alarmed, the Command Seal gives me a temporary link to your psyche."

"So, you can read my mind?" Nora said out loud, "That's creepy."

"Not exactly, this is only meant for communication." Moriarty confirmed back from the room as he saw Nora on one side of the screen, "We can see you on the monitors now," he then saw a list of the different class with the phrase, In Play, next to them, "And the other fighters for the first round are ready."

"Okay," Nora said as she looked around, "You know, for a something called a garden, it's not very …gardeny?"

"The Hanging Gardens of Babylon functioned as a Mobile Academy until contraction of Chaldea had finished, the two are comparable in size." Moriarty responded, "There is a garden if you can find it, as well as a few areas for combat training."

"Wait, if this place is that big, how am I supposed to find seven other people to fight." Nora said before she heard a loud explosion in the distance, "…Never mind."

"When a large area is mostly empty, it makes what sounds do happen all the more apparent to those listening." Moriarty said with a smile before turning back to Fran, who had a question, "What is it?"

"Uu?" Fran asked.

"My wish?" the mathematics professor responded, "Oh, I wish to give that know it all Sherlock a test." He said as his eyes filled with revenge, "That man thinks he could pass my class with one-hundred percent on every test, making me look like a joke to him. Then, he attains a position here at a higher level than I, who does Sherlock think he is." He then had a sinister smirk, "But, I will give him a test with the condition that if he gets one problem wrong, he must forfeit his position to me. And I will make that test the hardest one of his life." He said before he began to laugh out loud, with Fran looking at him in slight confusion.

"Uhh…I can still hear you?" Nora said, causing Moriarty to stop laughing as his face turned red, "Anyway, I'm heading into battle."

"That is rather reckless of you, the smarter move would be to let the other use up their strength and then fight." Moriarty stated before grinning, "But, the only way I could bet you to stay put is with a command seal, isn't it?"

"Even then, I don't know if that will work on me." Nora said as her eyes spark with energy, "Besides, I want to get this party started." She said before exiting the hallway into a large grey stone arena, looking for the source of the noise.

Suddenly, she looked up to see two Tamamo sisters clashing in different outfits. The cat seemed to be wearing a black and white maid outfit, while Tamamo no Mae wore a black attire with a yellow ribbon around her body and a little top hat on her head, "Because of you, I didn't get to wear my new dress to the event last night." Tamamo no Mae said as she locked arms with her sister, "But, I guess I can have the whole kingdom see me now as I knock you out."

"The first one to be kicked out of the round is you," Cat said before she tossed her sister into a large rock. However, Tamamo no Mae recovered without slamming it the boulder, causing her sister to grit her teeth.

"I see, the two faunus located each other rather quickly in this environment." Moriarty spoke to Nora, "Berserker is not as strong as Caster, but both are not to be taken lightly. With that, try to overwhelm Caster to defeat her quickly, then we can move onto Berserker."

"Got it," Nora said as she powered up her plasma blade, charging into battle. She headed straight for Tamamo, who just noticed her out of the corner of her eye, jumping to evade the strike.

"Oh, looks like I'm quite popular this round." Tamamo no Mae said as she created a large ball of ice in her right hand and a huge sphere of fire in her left, "No matter, neither of you are on my level." She said before launching the ice ball at Nora and the fireball at Cat.

Cat jumped out of the way of the attack, while Nora held her plasma blade over her head. she then vertically cut the ice ball in half to avoid getting hit by it, "I love this thing." Nora said to her weapon, causing Moriarty to smile.

"You were always the arrogant sister." Cat said to Tamamo no Mae, "And I bet you're just wearing that, so all the boys will look at you."

"Look who's talking." Tamamo said with a laugh, causing Cat's eyes to turn red with rage, "Now, why don't you save yourself the embarrassment and forfeit this round already."

"You, that does it!" Cat said before she got on all fours, her body encompassed in a red aura, "Sansan Nikkou Hiruyasumi Shuchi Nikurin!" Cat yelled as the aura radiating from her became more violent.

"What does that mean?" Nora asked Moriarty, shielding herself from the shock wave.

"…Its exact meaning is a little odd," Moriarty explained, "but what is important is that is her Noble Phantasm."

"Well, what does she do?" Nora said before there was an explosion over the area. As she jumped to get out of the smoke cloud, she heard a tiger roaring. Nora then looked over to see Tamamo no Mae jumping out as well, but she was being chased by a giant beast in the body of a large feline lunged at the fox faunus, "Oh…cool." Nora said as she now knew what Cat's Noble Phantasm was.

"She has the shapeshifting ability to turn into that creature you are looking at, but only for a short time until she is too exhausted to fight." Moriarty told Nora as he crossed his arms, "Down it now means she doesn't plan on winning, but rather in defeating Caster."

"You are such a fool, thinking this will intimidate me." Tamamo no Mae said as she dodged all of the massive cat's slashes and swipes, "You are nothing compared to that monster that Rose girl had." The fox faunus then pulled out two fans from inside her black sleeves, holding one in each hand, "Now, begone with you!" She said before spinning as the massive cat attacked. However, just before impact, Tamamo stopped, unleashing a gale-force wing that created a cyclone in the arena. Nora held herself in please by stabbing the floor with her sword, but the wind picked up the massive cat, flinging her into the wall a debris collapsed onto her body. Tamamo laughed as the wind settled down, then turning to Nora.

"You know, that isn't a nice way to treat family." Nora said as she pulled her sword out of the floor, "You two could learn a thing from a couple of sisters I know."

"I would suggest you mind your own business," Tamamo said before she heard the rubble shifting. She turned to see the massive cat pull itself out of the wreckage, its breathing heavy, "See, I don't intend to kill her, just remind her who is the best sister." She looked back to Nora, who held her plasma blade in an offensive stance, "Oh, you wish to fight now."

"Yep," Nora responded with a smile, "There's something I always wanted to do to a bully like you."

"Me, a bully?" Tamamo said before laughing, smirking a Nora charged at her.

However, Nora stopped herself and jumped back. Tamamo had a look of confusion, which become more confused as she noticed herself covered in a circular shadow. As she looked up her eyes widened as a massive object was falling at her faster than she could dodge. As it crashed over her position, the fox faunus realized it was hollow. As Nora landed back on the ground, she realized what that massive object was, "A bell?"

"What bell?" Tamamo echoed from inside the darkens of the bell, "What is this thing, who did this?"

"Oh, poor Tamamo," A familiar voice to Nora was heard landing on top of the bell. She looked up in awe to see it was Kiyohime, wearing a more revealing kimono with a yellow bow around her waist, "You were one of my biggest threats in getting my wish granted."

"Kiyohime?" Tamamo asked from inside the bell, "What do you mean, 'were?'" she said only hearing a giggle from the top of the bell. Suddenly, Tamamo stated to feel the temperature rapidly rise, "No no no no!" Tamamo said as she began to panic, "I can't be the first one to lose."

"Don't worry," Kiyohime said as she placed a fan over her lips, "I will burn away all of your worries." She declared before an eruption of fire occurred from inside the bell, spewing out from the bottom. Nora jumped away to dodge the heatwave as she heard the fox faunus scream in agony, "Now, just to be safe." Kiyohime said as multiple naginata appeared around her, all pointing at the bell. They glowed in a white-hot flame before impaling the bell, causing Tamamo's scream to become louder and filled with torment. The flames then began to glow blue before flashing out of exitance with the bell.

Back at the academy, Fran watched the screen before she caught a scent of something, something burnt. She walked out of the room and looked to a few doors down the hall, seeing one open to reveal a charred Tamamo coughed up some smoke before falling face first on the floor. As she laid there, gowning in pain, she noticed Glynda walk up to her, "I would feel sorry for you, but you choose to ignore my advice and lessons."

"I underestimated my opponents." Tamamo no Mae said in a weak voice before a cough, "And I was not mindful of my surroundings."

"See, those were not hard things to remember." Glynda said before helping to carry the burnt fox girl, "Now, I will take you to the infirmary."

"…Thank you." Tamamo said as Glynda had a slight hint of a smile.

 _Caster Defeated._

Fran then walked back into her room to see the monitor, watching Nora and Kiyohime.

"So, you really are a lancer now?" Nora asked the draconic faunus, "What made you switch?"

"I wanted to be stronger to protect My Ren." Kiyohime answered with a smile, "I worked hard to get recommended this year so that when I win, I can wish to be with My Ren after this after his transfer program ends."

"That's really sweet, Kiyohime." Nora said as she readied her weapon, "But, this is a competition, one that I don't intend to lose."

"I understand," Kiyohime said as she made one of her naginata in her hand, a blue flame shouting out from the edge of the blade, "I don't intend to lose either." She said with a grin as Nora responded in kind. The orange-haired saber then looked over to see the massive cat roaring as it glared at her and Kiyohime. Now, all that went through Nora's head was which one she needed to attack first.

 _Archer._

Ishtar hooved down the hallways of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, not making a sound as she peered over the next corner, "So, Caster is already out." She thought to herself as she had a focused gaze, "Even though I know I'm capable of taking them down, I would rather let them fight each other." She then sighed as she looked down in anger, "I hope that one of them manages to knock out that imposter to my sister!" she then had a look of slight sadness, "Because…I don't know if I can fight her." Ishtar then looked at her hands, "After Sakura died, I felt so weak. I could have saved her if I was stronger. Every time I see BB, I feel like I was back when I went by Rin."

Suddenly, Ishtar bumps her head against something. she slightly moved back as she looked up, but her eyes widened as she saw who it was, "Hi!" BB said as she waved, "I found you."

"You were looking for me?" Ishtar said as she saw BB manifest a wand in her hand.

"Of course, you are the strongest fighter in this round." BB said as she made a heart in the air with her wand, leaving a pink trail as it moved, "That means I should eliminate you right now." She said as the pink light growled brighter, causing Ishtar to quickly spawn her massive golden bow, reading to shot, "Now, Sakura Beam!"

"What did you-" Rin said in hesitation, not getting off her attack. BB's pink laser collided with Ishtar's body, launching her back down the hall and into an ice arena, coming to a stop against a block of ice. As she pulled herself out of the wreckage, she glared at BB, "Why did you call your attack that!?"

"I dunno, I like the way it sounds," BB responded, causing blood vessels to appear on Instar's forehead.

"I will not be made a fool of by you!" Rin declared as she reached out right arm, causing her weapon to come back to her side. She then began firing a barrage of shots at the Mooncancer. However, none of them landed as BB jumped to avoid them. The arena soon became surrounded in a plume of smoke as Ishtar caught her breath, "Damnit, I'm wasting too much stamina. I need to talk down." She said as she took a deep breath. However, she heard someone loudly slumping from a drink. Rin then looked up and to her left to see BB on top a block of ice, drinking something from a wooden cup.

"You look stressed," BB said as she offered the cup towards Ishtar, "This might help you chill." She then had a slight giggle, "But I guess you're already a little chilly, I mean, look where we are right now. And with what you're wearing-" Suddenly, Ishtar jumped up, her legs glowing with teal colored lines. She reeled back her right arm as it glowed with the same color and symbols. BB jumped out of the way as dropped the cup. Rin destroyed the top of the block, turning it into ice shards, "Wow!" The Mooncancer said in awe as she landed on the ground.

"I can use enhance magic on myself to increase my close combat damage." Ishtar said from atop the broken block of ice, "Now, answer my questions, why do you look like-" Suddenly, Rin saw a pink glow from below her feet, she looked down to discover the remains of the broken cup and pink liquid that was inside. Before she could react, the area around her was engulfed in a fiery explosion. The ice around her melted as she rolled down the block onto the ground level.

Back at the academy, Iri and Cinder watched the match via a large monitor in the recreation room at the Einzbern mansion, seeing as Ishtar tries to pick herself up, "Oh, Rin is not doing so well." Iri commented, "It's a good thing Shirou left with the group when he did, I don't think he would have liked to her like this."

"Yes," Cinder said with a slight smirk as she was texting, "That's why I'm recording this." Suddenly, the image on the monitors got fuzzy, causing Iri to have a look of disappointment as Cinder looked up at the screen now become fully distorted

"Oh no," Iri said, "Why does this always happen on the important fights?"

"Give it time," Cinder recommended, "These problems can happen with live streams." She said before she resumed texting.

Back at the arena, Ishtar got back on her feet as her breathing was weak, "You will have to try harder than that to beat me."

"Okay!" BB responded as she waved her wand. Suddenly, her body began to glow in bluish light before seemingly splitting into three clones. However, one of the clones had massive mechanic arms, while the other spear-like legs. When the light faded, BB was in the middle, the same as before, but to her left was a copy of her in a black attire with purple heeled boots. Her attached to her arms were massive claws made from gold. To BB's right was another copy, this one also wearing a black top, but barely anything covered the area below her chest. She looked like she was on stilts with the silver blades on her legs, "As a Mooncancer class, I can create copies of myself I call Alter Egos." She said as Rin gasped as all three had the same face as her deceased sister. BB then looked at the claw-armed clone, "I call this one Passionlip," BB then turned to the spear-legged clone, "And this one is Meltryllis." All the purple haired girls smiled, while Ishtar had a look of horror.

"How can you-" Ishtar spoke until Passionlip raised her left arm, making a fist pointed at her. The golden claw then rocketed towards Rin. She dodged out of the way, but Meltryllis rushed to her location. She swung her spear legs at Ishtar, who barely managed to dodge an upon slash. However, as she jumped back, she failed to consider a wall behind her, "Oh no." she said looked back at the wall, but as she turned back, BB stood a foot away from her body. As Rin gasped, BB waved her wand in the air, make a B-shape in the pink light. As the Mooncancer jumped back, the light exploded, making a hole in the wall her opponent once was.

As BB landed, she stood next to her clones, "We did it!" she cheered as her clones smiled, Passionlip regaining her claw-arm, "Now, who do we eliminate next?" she said before hearing the rubble behind her move, "Oh, you're still able to fight?" BB spoke to Ishtar, "Well, you must be nearly empty by no-" Suddenly, Ishtar erupted from the rubble at high speed, her right arm already reeled back, "Eh?" BB said with an uneasy smile before Rin connected with a right hook punch to her left cheek. The force of the punch sent BB flying back, her body crashing through multiple blocks of ice before stopping at the opposite wall. Passionlip and Meltryllis showed expressions of shock before Ishtar blasted them both with her massive golden bow from behind, sending them both into pillars of ice rubble.

"I normally don't use that much strength on an opponent," Rin said as she cracked her knuckles, "But you really piss me off." She then looked over to see BB, try to push the rubble off her body, her left hand over where the punch mark was, "Now, tell me, once and for all." Ishtar said as she aimed her Noble Phantasm, "WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE MY SISTER!?" she shouted as BB had a look of fear in her eyes, but as she lowered her left hand by accident, Ishtar's expression changed to one of shock. The punch mark she had left not only tore off a layer of skin, but it had also revealed a mechanical endoskeleton. The wire and circuits sparked as BB's eyes filled with panic, "Wha…y-you…you're." Rin said as she looked her arm, her noble phantasm disappearing, "You're a ro-"

"Passionlip!" BB screamed, causing the claw-armed clone to reappear out of the rubble, "Execute ejection plan!"

"What?" Ishtar said as she looked back, seeing Passionlip rushed her. Rin tried to jump out of the way, however, she flinched in pain from the last attacked she endured. Passionlip then grabbed Ishtar with both arms, picking her up, and pointing her towards the ceiling. Suddenly, the claw-arms rocketed upwards, pining Ishtar in their grip. She crashed through the ceiling and the floor above that, and the floor above that, and the floor above that. Until Rin found herself outside the Hanging Garden but was still ascending. She just managed to get out her right arm, reeling back for a punch to destroy the claws. However, as she swung, her body glowed in a blue light, teleporting her back to the starting room. Her attack missed, she looked at the monitor in front of her astonishment.

 _Archer eliminated by ring out._

"I…I…" Rin said as she processed what she had just witnessed. Suddenly, she remembered what Cinder had mentioned to her the night before, "Cinder, she knew this!" Ishtar said before turning to the door, "I have to find her and-" as she grabbed the doorknob to exit, a yellow vortex appeared over her head. As she looked up, something red was coming.

Amakusa walked to the room Ishtar was in, using his class card on the lock. However, as he was about to enter, her heard Ishtar scream in agony. He quickly pulled out his black keys as he opened the door. However, what he discovers was Ishtar on the ground, covered in a pile of what looked, and smelled, like old tomatoes. Even he could not help but crack a smile as one tomato rolled off her head.

"Who did this to me!?" Rin said as she glared at Amakusa, "Was it you know?"

"No, though whoever it was, I admire their creativity." He said with the sound of a pair of arrogant laughter being slight heard from down the halls, "The Headmaster would like to see you about something." he said with Rin having a look of confusion, "It is about what you just saw."

 _Rider_

Back in the arena, BB looked over to her clones, who looked back at her in slight worry, "It's okay, I can fix this." She said in an uneasy voice as she held her hand over the exposed metal, "I-I can still win this and accomplice the program's objective." Suddenly, she heard footsteps from down the hall. As she turned, she saw Neo walking with her umbrella as a cane and a smirk on her face, "You, another fight so soon." BB said with a slight chuckle, "Well, we can still win." She said as her clones readied to fight, the claw-arms returning to Passionlip's position.

Neo stopped a few meters away, reached into her pocket, and pulled out her scroll. Her opponents had a look of confusion as she began to text. Suddenly, BB felt her scroll vibrate, she then looked up to see Neo change the orientation of her eye color. Still looking at Neo, the Mooncancer pulled out and opened her scroll. As she glanced down, she saw a video that started to play itself, "This girl!"

"...Is it on?" the girl in the video said as BB watched the video in complete confusion, "Maybe I need to press the button again." She said as her arms went out of frame.

"It's…me?" BB said as Neo text a new message the BB read aloud, "Yes, that's Sakura." BB read as a new message came in, "She is dead." BB read as she lowered her left hand, "Which means," The Mooncancer said as she looked forward at Neo, "I am dead." As BB said those words, her eyes turned pitch-black. Passionlip and Meltryllis slowly faded into rays of light as BB fell backward. Her body began to twitch as and jitter as she looked up at the hole in the ceiling, the light of the sun shining through. Her eyes showed that she wanted to cry, but no tears could come out.

Neo them put her scroll away as walked towards BB. She pulled the hidden blade out of her umbrella as a sinister smile was on her face. Neo then plunged her sword into BB's chest, passing all the way through the mechanical body. The blade sparked as Neo pulled it out, BB's eyes slowly began to close. As they did, the Mooncancer spoke in a distorted voice unlike the bubble girl before, "To sleep, perchance to dream." Those were the final words of the android as she closed her eyes for good. As her body was vanishing to go back to the academy, Neo picked up BB's scroll.

 _Mooncancer dead_

BB body still transported back to a small room. However, Zhuge Liang, Ishtar, and Amakusa were already there. The headmaster looked at the robotic body in anger as knelt, "Looks like that anonymous tip was right." Amakusa said as Zhuge Liang examined the body.

"What anonymous tip?" Ishtar asked, "And why is BB a robot?"

"I had received a file talking about what BB was. She was made by Atlas in a program to create unbeatable soldiers in the battle against Grimm." Zhuge Liang answered, "The short version is they used your sister's video diaries to make this android as if it was a real person. But to test her combat potential, they admitted her into this school in the transfer program to see if she was stronger than our student could ever be."

"But...but," Rin said as she looked down at BB's emotionless face, "Why is she dead now?"

"She seems to have been killed by one of the other members of this round," Amakusa inferred, "Normally, this would be expulsion, but as you can see, this machine never had a life, to begin with." He said before turning to Ishtar, who had a look of pain in her eyes.

"…I never saw Sakura's body, they couldn't retrieve it after that attack," Rin said aloud in a melancholy voice, "...Is this what it would have looked like?" she said as she looked at the right side of BB's face. Amakusa and Zhuge Liang did not respond.

The headmaster stood up and turned to Ishtar, "This is something I will discuss with the Atlas General that sent in BB. I know this can be hard, but you need to not mention any of this to anyone."

"He's right," the student head of the church added on, "If news like this were to break out, it could cause in a cross-kingdom panic. We were lucky to scramble the feed when we did."

"Yes," Zhuge Liang responded before sighed, "The residents will be annoyed at the missing fights, but that is still preferable to what they could have seen."

"I understand," Ishtar responded, "I will keep quiet about this, but I need to go and speak with someone." She said with Zhuge Liang sniffing upon discovering a foul odor, "…After I shower." She said as her face turned slightly red upon walking out of the room.

Back at the Einzbern mansion, Iri looked as the screen became clear again, with Neo in the center of the screen, "Finally, but we missed two eliminations." Iri said before pouting.

"I'm sure they were not that interesting," Cinder said as Neo looked directly into the screen, smirking as she put both scrolls in her pocket.

 **AN: There you go, three elimination down, four to go. Round One will be a two part, but the whole of Grand Order will be about 10-12 chapters. We saw the battle with Tamamo sisters go down, but one fell prematurely to the fire of Kiyohime. Nora gets set up with her rematch to show if she really has improved in this last month. Ishtar and BB have their battle, which let me add the alter egos in for a same cameo. Even though both are incredibly strong, there is more than one way to lose in these fights. Neo shows exactly what an alternative of V2 would look like as she puts BB down. The secrets out, but this doesn't follow V3 plotline, just referencing that alternative. And a little light stuff with the revel of why Gil and Enkidu needed those tomatoes. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**

 **Edit: A small clarification as to what a Mooncancer class is to the context of the world here. A Mooncancer can make copies of themselves in the form of alter egos, (this explain that class as well here). The pieces that break off are mutated into the alter egos of the Mooncancer, sharing the same level of skill, but with different focuses and appearances, while under the control of the original person. That is why BB can make Passionlip** **and Meltryllis the way they are. BB was the only one in this story to be classified as one, but if I eventually make a sequel to this story, I have planes for another character to become this class later. I changed the class to be like this considering the origins of the Mooncancer in fate lore are complex. Plus, I felt it was a class that still fits what it does here, considering the broken moon over Remnant can serve as a sort of metaphor for this class.**

 **Edit 2: Hey, I just fixed the error where Passionlip was called Parvati this chapter. It was due to me doing my proper research on the AKA's on certain fate characters. I know it seems a little late to fix it, but I just wanted remove that error from my story while I have the chance now. If you are new to the story here, this edit has no context for you and is irrelevant now. Sorry for my mistake.**


	59. Chapter 56 - Clash

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the conclusion to round one of The Grand Order here. This one has been fun to write, getting me more excited to write the next rounds. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 56 – Clash**

 _Assassin_

As Jekyll walked down the halls, his arms were crossed as he looked down in worry, "What's wrong?" Drake spoke in his mind.

"He is upset in having to fight Neo," Hyde spoke up in his mind, causing Jekyll's expression to change to slight anger, "I do not know why. This is my chance to impress her with my knife skills."

"I am not letting you take over in this battle." Jekyll said to Hyde with resentment, "You could hurt Neopolitan."

"Look, I get it, she is your girlfriend," Drake said in a tired voice, "But this is The Grand Order, you can't act like a wimp here."

"She's right." Hyde agreed, "It's two against one, let me have some fun."

"No!" Jekyll responded, "and I am not a wimp!" suddenly, he heard a loud crashing sound from behind him, causing him to slightly shriek as turned around, discovering it was a just a fallen piece of knight's armor. He sighed as he heard giggling in his head, "…Shut up." He said before turning around. However, he noticed Neo standing in a foot inform of him, smirking, causing him to shriek again.

"Wow," Drake said, "Maybe the Garden is not as big as I thought."

"N-Neo, what are you-" Jekyll was saying until he noticed Neo close her eyes and leaning in, her lips moving towards his. He responded with an easy smile before he closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his side. He opened his eyes to see that Neo did not kiss him but stab him with her hidden blade. She jumped back while pulling out the blade, causing Jekyll to whale in agony as he up his left hand, "Wha…Why?" he asked with the pint-sized girl grinning as she changed the orientation of her eye color.

"It's like I said, this is Grand Order." Drake spoke up, "She is showing you respect in this battle by taking it seriously." She said as her voice seemed like she was leaning in to speak, "So, man up already!"

"Or, let me take over." Hyde spoke up, but Jekyll gritted his teeth as he made his knife in his right hand, "Fine, suit yourself."

"Okay Neopolitan," Jekyll said, "I will not hold back," he said with Neo bowing she grinned. He then rushed forward with his knife as Neo put her hidden blade back in her umbrella sheath. He began with an upward slash, but she parried with it her weapon. As Jekyll was stunned, she pressed a button on her umbrella, ejecting the hidden blade out the top. She attempted a straight stab, but he managed to block the attack with his knife before regaining his footing.

Jekyll then tossed his knife at Neo, aiming for her abdomen. The attack hit its mark, but Neo's body began to crack like glass. She then shattered as Jekyll shielded his eyes from stay shards. Neo then reappeared behind him as she got ready to stab him again. However, Jekyll quickly turned around and grabbed her left hand, causing Neo to drop her weapon. He then quickly got behind Neo, locking her hand hide her back as he pinned her against the wall, "Nice moves." Drake said in his head.

"Neo, I know how you fight, you cannot trick me again," Jekyll said as he tightened his hold on her. Suddenly, Neo snickered as Jekyll tightened his grip, pushing her arm up. His eyes narrowed as he did not know why she was not in pain. Suddenly, he heard a cracking sound again. As Jekyll looked at her left arm, he noticed it breaking like glass, "Another clone!?" he said as the glass Neo shattered.

As Jekyll shielded himself from the shards, Neo reappeared to his left side. She then jumped on the wall before spin kicking him in the face, landing back on her feet as he fell on his back. Neo smirked as she then leaned against the wall, changing the orientation of her eye color.

Jekyll whines in pain as he tries to stand up, "Tag me in already!" Hyde said in Jekyll's mind.

"No, I can do this," Jekyll said before he filched in pain from his stab wound.

"Okay, I have had enough of this," Drake said from her room at the Academy. She as she raised her hand, "By my Command Seal, I order you."

"Drake no!" Jekyll pleaded.

"Switch to Hyde!" the female pioneer declared before Jekyll's eyes turned red. Her symbol on her hand began to fade away.

 _Class change_

As he started to stand up, his hair became disheveled, and his wounds healing rapidly, "Okay Neo," Hyde said as he took off the glasses, dropping them on the floor, "Let's get crazy!" He said as Neo smirked. She stopped leaning against the wall and kicked her umbrella into her left hand. However, as she grabbed it, Hyde rushed to her. He snatched it with his right hand out of hers, causing her eyes to turn white for a second. He then swung the weapon at her horizontally. Neo ducked and rolled to her left, noticing the knife in the pile of glass. She picked it up with her right hand as she stood back up.

"Oh, a weapon change," Drake comments while Jekyll reminds abstained in silence.

Hyde rushed Neo again, but Neo began to parry his slashes with the knife. Sparked formed between the clashing metal as Hyde's attack grew more rapid over time. However, as he missed a straight stab, Neo attempted to go for one of her own while she aimed for his stomach again, he blocked with the left palm, grabbing the blade as he grew a sinister smile. He then shoulders rushed Neo at close range, causing her to let go of the knife. Neo quickly backflipped to prevent herself from falling and gained some distance between her and Hyde. He then laughed as he tossed the knife straight in the air, catching it by the handle with his left hand, "How are you going to fight me now!" he said as he brandished both the weapons in his hands in dual wielding stance.

As he was about to rush her, Neo had a relaxed stance as she took a deep breath, casing Hyde to tilt his head in confusion. Suddenly, her body glowed in a pink light as she stretched out her arms to her sides. The light shined brighter, causing Hyde to shield his eyes for a second. As he looked back what he saw left him at a gasp. Staring straight in front of him was a massive bull-drawn chariot with Neo at the front seat, "Hey, that's-" Drake comment in anger right before the bulls charged Hyde. He had no time to dodge as they rammed into him, lifting him into the air. As he dropped the weapon, Neo grabbed him by the arms and pulled him towards her. As the pint-sized girl did this, she leaned back, pulling herself and Hyde into the chariot carriage. Drake could not see the fighters, nor could she hear Hyde or Jekyll's thoughts. All she could see were the red curtains tussling as something happened behind them. After a short amount of time, Drake noticed Hyde reappear on the floor behind her, his face red as he smiled and giggled.

 _Assassin/berserker defeated_

Drake gritted her teeth as she walked out of the room. She then made her way down the hall to the entrance to another room, kicking it open. There, she discovered Medb sitting in a reclined chair with a sleep mask over her eyes. She then lifted the mask slightly to see Drake glaring at her, "Well, I guess my fighter beat yours, didn't she?" Medb said while smirking as she turned to put the mask back on.

"That is a dirty move," Drake commented, "Giving your fighter your personal Noble Phantasm is not fair."

"It's not against the rules, just frown upon, and I don't care." Medb responded, "The way I see it, if Neo is strong enough use my Noble Phantasma, she can use it in Grand Order." she then showed the female pioneer her left hand, the seal already fading, "Right at the start of this Round, I used my command seal to aid her in controlling the Chariot of Love, that's completely fair. So, I thought I would take a nap, and wake up when Neo wins this whole thing for me," Medb then smirked, "With this fighter, I am sure to win, and Cu will be mine!" she said as she laughed. However, she then heard someone else clear their throat. She then lifted her mask to see Neo looking at her, changing the orientation of her eye color, "What!?" the pink-haired queen said as she sat up out of the chair. She then noticed the monitories said.

 _Rider withdraws_

"You gave up!" Medb shouted, "Why!?"

Neo took out her scroll and began texting, but did not send a message, simply showing, "I already won, I don't need a wish."

"What!? But I, what about my wish?" Medb asked as Neo typed. The pink haired "You only picked me because you knew I would win with your Noble Phantasm."

"...Yeah, but…," Medb responded. "You can't do this!"

"Actually, she can," Drake said with a smile, "It's not against the rule, just frown upon." She said as Medb gritted her teeth, Neo walked out of the room, away from the two. Drake looked back at Neo with a smirk, "But she doesn't care."

"Hey!" Medb called out to Neo, "If you think you're going to pass my class, you have another thing coming!" Suddenly, Medb's scroll went off as she got a message, of which she read out loud, "Unless you don't want to see your Chariot of Love ever again, I better get an A." She said with Drake snickering, causing Medb to pout as her face turned red.

As Neo walked down the halls, she saw Jekyll walk out of the room. He stumbled as he tried to fix his hair, his eyes back to normal. He then looked at his sides for his glasses but found it not on his person. Neo then reached out her with her half hand, offering his glass, "Oh," Jekyll said as he now noticed her, his face turning red, "T-Thanks." He said as he accepted the glasses. As he put them on, he noticed Neo blushing.

Neo them reached into her pocket taking out her scroll. Jekyll noticed she was typing something, but as it looked like she was about to send a message, she stopped herself. The pint-sized girl's hands trembled as she held the scroll to her chest. She then looked up back at Jekyll, her scroll now moved up to hide her lips. He heard what sounded like mumbling, but he could not hear. Neo then lowered the scroll from her hiding her voice, "...I love you..." She said in a soft voice, causing Jekyll to be to slightly widen his eyes. After she spoke, Neo's face turned redder as her expression went to unconfident and worried.

However, Neo slightly gasped as Jekyll held her close to him. She then looked up to see Jekyll smiling at her. He looked at her, in her mind, she saw one of the red, "I love you too." Jekyll and Hyde said as they looked at her. Neo smiled as a small tear rolled down the corner of her eye. She then closed her eyes as he leaned in, his lips locking with hers as she felt at peace.

 _Lancer_

Kiyohime tried to stab at Nora with her Naginata, the but orange haired saber blocked with her plasma blade. As she readjusted her stance, Nora's body sparked with electricity. Her weapon then formed its lighting edge as she sashed at Kiyohime. However, the draconic faunas blocked with her weapon. The flame at the edge of her naginata screeched against the plasma blade's lightning.

As both were pushing to gain ground over the other, they looked to see the massive Cat pounce towards them, focusing each to jump back in the opposite directions, "Hey," Nora spoke to Moriarty, "I thought you said she can't stay in this form for too long?"

"Normally yes, she should be exhausted right now." Moriarty said as he placed his right hand on his chin, "The one advising her must have used the command seal to resupply her with mana. But who was her master again?"

In a nearby room, Taiga watched Cat fight with a huge smile on her face, "Yes Tamamo, show them your prideful cry of Battle." Taiga said as her eyes were lit with a burning passion, "ROAR!"

In a not too far off room form hers, Li Shuwen laughed as he heard the roar, "Kakakaka, do you hear that Kiyohime, she wants to test to see if you are strong enough to face a tiger." He then grinned, "Are you?"

"If a tiger stood in the way of me and My Ren," Kiyohime responded, "I would burn it to ashes."

"Kakakaka, very well." Li Shuwen laughed as he raised his arm with the Command seal on it, watching as it faded away, "I will lend you my energy, so you can achieve your goal." He then clenched his fists, "Now, show me your strength!"

"Yes, sir!" Kiyohime said as her body glowed in a blue light, Nora and the massive Cat looked over to see Kiyohime breath in deeply. As she exhaled, a wave of blue fire swept over the area. Nora took to the high ground as Cat's body collided with the fire. Her fur and flesh started to burn as she roared in agony. The massive cat's stance began to falter before she looked up at Nora, seeing her distracted by the flames.

Suddenly, Cat lunged towards the orange haired saber in mid-roar. Nora could not jump out of the way as looked directly at the large fangs. She was soon found herself inside the mouth of the massive cat, her hands of the roof of the jaw as her feet were on the bottom, "Hey, bad kitty!" Nora said as she tried to keep the mouth open, looking down at the throat, "Uh, what happens if you eat me?" Nora asked Moriarty.

"I will be forced to withdraw you from the match for your safety," Moriarty responded, "Unless you want to hack up in a hairball."

"No thank you!" Nora said as she looked around for a way out, "Think Nora think." She said as she realized what was near her feet, "Oh wait, I got it-" Suddenly, Cat closed her jaws. Kiyohime looked over to see the massive cat try to swallow something, but Cat's eyes looked in pain as is she was about to cry. As she screeches in pain, Cat opened her mouth to show that Nora had stabbed the tongue with her plasma blade, "Now for the fun part!" Nora said as her body sparked with electricity, all of which flowed into her weapon and into the tongue.

Suddenly, Cat's body was encompassed in electricity, shocking her to her very core as she with was left of her fur straighten and fried. Kiyohime watched at the electrified cat thrashed over the area. Kiyohime jumped to avoid the attack, landing atop a large rock. After a few seconds, the massive Cat toppled over, laying tired on the ground. Nora climbed out of the mouth just before Cat vanished in a blue light.

Back in Taiga's room, Cat reappeared in her normal form, laying on the floor asleep as her maid outfit was torn to shreds. Taiga smiled as she knelt done to her, "You do good out there." She said as she petted Cat behind the ears, causing Cat to smile in her sleep.

 _Berserker defeated._

"Nora, only two fighters are remaining in this round," Moriarty said.

"So, it's just me and her then?" Nora said as she looked up at Kiyohime, causing her to grin, "Great." The draconic faunus then inhaled before breathing fire down on Nora. The orange haired saber ran to avoid the blue flames.

As Nora ran, she tossed her plasma blade at Kiyohime, but the toss was aimed too high. Kiyohime smiled as she looked at the attempt miss. However, she paused as she saw the blade hover over a few meters over her head, the tip pointing down. Suddenly, lighting shouts out of the blade right towards Kiyohime. She jumped out of the way, but in the process, lost sight of Nora, "Wha- Where did she go?" Kiyohime said as she scanned the area.

Suddenly, Nora jumped out from the rubble behind Kiyohime. The draconic faunus managed to turn around in time, but Nora grabbed her Naginata, "Surprise!"

"Nice try," Kiyohime said as her mouth glowed with blue flames, "but now you're in close range."

"That was the plan," Nora said as her hands sparked. Suddenly, Kiyohime's body was overflowing with electricity as she screamed in pain. Her body blasted backward as she let go of her Naginata. As she fell on the floor, her weapon disappeared in Nora's hands.

"I see," Kiyohime said as her breathing was heavy, "You not only got stronger, but smarter too." She said as she stood up, "But, I will still win this round." The draconic faunus said as he made another Naginata.

"Then come at me," Nora said before she looked over to where her plasma blade landed. As she looked back at Kiyohime, she discovered her opponent was in the middle of breathing fire. Nora dodged and ran for her weapon. A smile came on her face as she grabbed it. However, that smile faded as she noticed the area around her suddenly was covered in a shadow, "Wha?" She said as she looked up, seeing the bell land on her. Covering her as it did to Tamamo no Mae.

"I thought you would go for your weapon like that," Kiyohime said as smiled. Form inside the bell, the sound of metal against metal was heard, "You cannot escape." Kiyohime said as she jumped atop the bell, "All you can do now is burn!" She said before the heat inside the bell increased into an erupting inferno larger than before. Kiyohime spawned more naginata around the bell, all of which impaled with a white-hot fire. After a few seconds, Kiyohime breathed a sigh of relief, "I did it." she said as she smiled, "I won."

However, Kiyohime had a look of confusion come on her face, "Wait, why I'm I still here. I should have been transported back as the victor." She said before jumping off the bell, "Is she just hanging on by a thread?" Kiyohime said as she tightened her grip on her naginata. The bell began to disappear, but what it revealed was not what not what she was expecting, "…A hole?" Suddenly, whiteish glint was seen from the hole as Kiyohime tried to make a defensive stance.

But it was too late, Nora jumped out for the hole and headed straight for her opponent. Her Plasma blade charged as she slashed through Kiyohime's naginata. As the plasma blade collided with her body, the electricity blasted Kiyohime's back into a rock. As she tried to get up, she realized she no longer had any strength left, "You dodged my Noble Phantasm, how?" Kiyohime asked.

"When I realized the bell was too strong to break," Nora said ashes remembered hitting it with her plasma blade, "And it was too hot to touch." She said as she remembered putting her hand on it, pulling back at the hot metal, "I knew I had only one option." She said as she remembered using her weapon to cut a circular hole in the floor. In doing so, Nora fell through to the next level down, as she looked up, she saw the fire. She quickly made the second hole but did not fall through this one. Instead, Nora jumped out of the way of the fire, causing the flames to travel to the floor below her, all while she was safe from the attack.

Kiyohime smiled as she closed her eyes, "You got me." She said as she started to vanish, "But even though I lost, I will still be by My Ren's side, even if it's across kingdoms." She said before vanishing, causing Nora to smile.

 _Lancer defeated_

Appearing back in her room, Kiyohime looked up Li Shuwen, "I'm sorry," She said as she lowered her head, "I know that you wanted a wish to travel the world, looking for strong fighters."

"Kakakaka," Li Shuwen laughed, "I did want such a wish," He then smiled as he patted her on the back, "but seeing you battle, I know there are strong individual close by already."

"Thank you," Kiyohime said as she walked out. Upon opening the door, she saw Achilles, Atalanta, and Robin in front of her. She smiled as she saw them, but in the corner of her right eye, she saw Nora exiting her room with Fran and Moriarty, being hugged Ruby and Pyrrha as Jaune, Yang, and Weiss watched. As they let go of Nora, the orange haired saber noticed the draconic faunus. The two then walked over to one other with the rest of the groups watched. After a few seconds of standing in front of one another, Nora reached out her right hand at waist level, grinning as she made a fist. Kiyohime responded in kind, bumping her right fist against it.

 _Round one winner: Saber_

 **AN: And there you go, the winner of Round One is Nora. Neo had a good chance to win, but her win was far more personal than Grand Order. She finally speaks to Jekyll/Hyde, with a soft voice. Meaning, it isn't an issue with what she sounds like, but it is really the only thing she unconfident about, and he accepted her, this being the first time he kisses her. Medb tired to use Neo to win with the Chariot of Love, but it backfired on her. Then we saw the climax with Nora and Kiyohime, and we see how smart Nora has gotten in her training. Next chapter will be a little intermission from the Grand Order as Round Two gets set up, but it will still be a very important chapter with what happens.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	60. Chapter 57 - Uncovering the Truth

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one starts out a bit light hearted and the moves onto a big revelation for our characters. Thank you for all the support on this story, things are just going to keep on getting intense from here. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 57 – Uncovering the Truth**

 _Nora_

In the cafeteria, Nora ate from a large plate of turkey, mashed potatoes, and corn. Her friends, the remaining members of her own team and Team RWBY, watched in slight worry as she scarfed down the food, "Nora, maybe you should slow down." Jaune said, fearing her safety.

"Nah, I'm good," Nora responded, her mouth half full, "What can I say, I worked up an appetite."

"I'm not saying you didn't earn it," Jaune responded as the orange haired saber continued to eat, "but…try not to choke before you get your wish granted."

"Have you thought about what you wanted to ask for yet?" Ruby asked.

"Not yet, I'm still thinking about somethings." Nora responded, "I'm still surprised I pulled out the win. Granted, I only really fought half the competition."

"Don't think about it like that, you won the round fair and square." Pyrrha responded, "We're all proud of you."

"Thank you," Nora slightly blushed in her response before she looked back at Pyrrha next to Weiss, "You two are next, that's going to fun."

"I wonder who will?" Ruby said with Weiss glaring at her, "I mean, of course, I'm rooting for you."

"Well, Nora and I are going to cheering Pyrrha on all the way." Jaune said before he looked to Yang, "You're going to cheer your teammate on as well?"

"Well, kind of. I'm rooting for Gil," Yang responded, causing Weiss and Pyrrha to look over at her, "What? I couldn't pick between you two. The two of you are my some of my best friends." She then had a small smirk, "Plus, he's my boyfriend, my hands are tied here."

"I get it," Pyrrha said with a sigh, before she smirked, "So, don't get mad at me when I beat him."

"You sound pretty confident Pyrrha," Ruby responded, "That's a little unlike you."

"I've got a lot stronger since when I first fought him." Pyrrha responded, "I won't lose."

"Fair enough," Weiss responded with a small grin, "In that case, what about the two of us making a slight alliance?"

"Isn't that against the rules?" Yang asked.

"No, I read that it happens a few times in The Grand Order. Two fighters will agree to ignore each other in the round, waiting until they are the last two before fighting each other." Weiss responded, "Sometimes, the two can team up to take out a more powerful foe."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Pyrrha responded, "I want to beat him on my own."

"Fine, I just thought I would ask." Weiss said before she looked at the time on her scroll, "Our round is about to start, I should meet with Professor Semiramis to prepare."

"I should do the same with Professor Vlad," Pyrrha responded as the two stood up, going their separate ways.

"I'm going to get seconds," Nora said as she stood up with her empty plate.

"I should get something to eat also." Ruby said as she followed Nora, "Plus, I promised Lobo a turkey before our round came up."

Remaining at the table were Yang and Jaune, with the blond berserker stretching before she stood up, "Wait!" Jaune responded, "I…need your advice."

"For what?" She responded with him blushing, "Oh, I get it. It has to do with your girlfriend, doesn't it?" Yang said with a smirk with him nodding, "Okay, spill it."

"I…need to know how to kiss Mash." Jaune said with Yang raising an eyebrow, "I haven't kissed anyone before."

"But you want to kiss Mash," Yang responded with Jaune's face turning red, "That's adorable."

"Hey, it's not that easy for me." Jaune responded, "Her dad is like a Grimm, glaring at me with a red light coming out of his helmet."

"…Is he a Grimm," Yang said with a look of horror coming on Jaune face, realizing her never saw Lancelot without his armor on, "Jaune, I'm kidding."

"Oh, yeah, right," Jaune said with an uneasy smile. He then cleared his throat, "So, need some advice. I was going to talk with Ren or Blake, but they both left to this morning before I could ask."

"Glad I was your third choice," Yang sarcastically responded, "Look, if you want my advice. Make sure you brushed your teeth or at least have had a mint beforehand." She said with Jaune taking out a notebook and pencil, taking notes, "Be relaxed when you kiss her, don't puff your cheeks like a fish or purse your lips." Yang said as she crossed her arms, "When you look at her, try to time your eyes closing when your lips touch. Hold her close to you, let her know she is safe in your arms." She said as Jaune continued to write, "And finally, don't jam your tongue into her mouth, unless she is into that. If it's your first time, and presumably hers, take it slow."

"Wow," Jaune responded, "You really know a lot of stuff about this." He said before he finished writing. However, as he looked up, Yang was glaring it him, Jaune realizing the implications of his statement, "I mean, thank you for the advice."

"That's better," Yang responded, "Also, if you want to know when to kiss her. Try doing something romantic to set the mood."

"Okay, got it." Jaune responded, "So, have you told all of this advice to Ruby yet?"

"Of course," Yang responded, "But she isn't allowed to kiss someone until she is seventeen. Even then, I have to approve the person." She said with Jaune looking at her in slight shock, "What, I'm protective of my sister's wellbeing, don't judge me." She said as she crossed her arms again.

 _Fran_

Fran followed Moriarty, looking at her adoptive dad in slight confusion as he walked down the hall in glee, "Au?" She asked him.

"We are heading to see Holmes," Moriarty responded, "I want to be the one to tell him about my plans for his future," He said with a smirk while Fran sighed. The two then reached a door and paused. As the mathematics professor reached for the handle, he pulled back upon sniffing something in the air, "What is that smell," he said as Fran pinched her nose, "It smells like a rotting corpse." He said before he thought about the irony in what his statement could have meant, "…Fran." He said as he turned to her.

"Au!" Fran said with a nod, letting of her nose. He then took a step back as Fran moved in front of the door. She then gritted her teeth before reeling back her right arm, punching the door, and knocking it off its hinges.

The two peered inside to the lights flicker on, but the wall covered in formulas and equations. Photos and pictures were stapled everywhere, each with a thread of yarn attached from one to the other, "What in the world?" Moriarty said as he earned the room, dodging the yarn. He looked up to see that even the ceiling was covered in information. However, this caused him to trip and fall forward. He managed to catch himself, but as he looked to see what he tripped over, he discovered Sherlock on the floor, lying motionless on his back. His eye closed as his face was unkept, he appeared to not be breathing, "Holmes!" Moriarty commented in panic as Fran's eye widened. He knelt down to quickly examine his body, noticing a syringe in Holmes' right hand. Moriarty took it out of his hand, quickly deduction what it was, and plunging it directly into Sherlock's heart for an injection.

After a few seconds, Sherlock began gasping for breath as his eyes popped open, "…Oh…Well, …that was close." Sherlock said as he struggled to breathe, "...Hello James." he said somewhat casually.

"You do realize these adrenalin shots of yours only work if you're alive enough to still inject yourself." Moriarty said as he tossed away the syringe, he then looked around the room, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Well, I am not meant to tell you," Sherlock said as he started to get up, "But, since you saved my life, we can keep this between us." Sherlock said with a smile as Moriarty scoffed, "I am trying to discover members of an organization that plans to destroy our kingdom." He said as he patted the dust off his white shirt, "It has been my goal to discover these foes and inform the headmaster."

"And you have been doing so for-" Moriarty asked, but Sherlock cut him off.

"Close to a month now," Sherlock responded.

"Au," Fran said in disgust as she pinched her nose again.

"She says you smell," Moriarty commented, "I would agree."

"I guess I am overdue for a bath by now." Sherlock noted to their comment, "I have been focused on this more than I would have liked."

"Yet, you still have not discovered the individuals." Moriarty asked with a slight smirk, "Have they fooled you?"

"Hardly, they are just very well hidden." Sherlock responded as he walked over to a wall of his photos, pointing to one of a mass of black sludge, "This substance was not created by one person, but a group of people. I learned this from what Romani and DaVinci have discovered about its composition. Based on its genetic code, multiple perspectives and wells of knowledge were applied to its composition." He then pointed to the formulas around the room, "I have documented everything you see around us as the different components to create this substance. From that, I am trying to link these compounds and equations back to individuals who then could be possible suspects to my investigation." He then sighed as he sat back down, "However, no matter the detail I dissect, I cannot find a concrete link to someone who could be a suspect."

"I see," Moriarty said before turning to Fran, who had a look of understating nothing that Sherlock just said, "Fran, he is looking for a type of detail in this compound that can trace back to one person. Think of it like taking apart a bomb to learn who made it from how it was made."

"Aa," Fran said before she started to look at the walls.

"I fear her usefulness in the current state of my findings." Sherlock responded, "I have deduced at least three different minds worked on this, with a possible fourth acting as the leader. Thanks to the findings of my colleagues, I have transcribed the structure of the compound, re-engineering it to make a timeline of how it was made and what minds could have influenced the inclusion of what parts," He then crossed his arms, "Of the three builders, one had an extensive mathematics impute, the other a biochemical impute, and the final one a magic impute." He then looked around the room, "But beyond that, the information does not lead me to any specific names or titles."

"AU!" Fran said with the two men looking back to her. They saw her grit her teeth as she looked at a circled equation. Fran then picked up a marker and looked like she was about to 'X' out the equation. Just as the tip of the marker was about to touch the wall, Sherlock rushed her, grabbed the marker out of your hand.

"James, why is does she have such disdain for that math equation?" Sherlock as him, "I would rather not have someone else mark up my walls of information."

"UU!" Fran shouted at Moriarty, causing him to gasp.

"Fran, are you sure?" The mathematics professor said with her nodding, then looking back to Sherlock, "She says it was her father's equation."

"Victor Frankenstein!?" Sherlock said with Fran growing, "That's incorrect, this formula does not match anything he has created prior, I have already check." He said as he pointed to the equation, "This is a balancing equation for the black gunk, preventing it from becoming unstable and overloading on its own magical energy."

"AA!" Fran said as she pointed at her horn and metal attachments to her head, "AU!"

"She says that her father used to use that equation when he created the implants in her head." Moriarty translated, "Fran's brain was not fully developed at birth, so these regulate her nervous system." He then pointed at the formula, "That equation is part of what allows Fran to channel energy in her body while still being sane."

"Au." Fran responded in slight sadness, "Uu."

"I know you don't like talking about him." Moriarty responded, "It's been almost seven years since he left."

"Seven years?" Sherlock responded, "His file noted be has been missing no more than six years."

"Well, someone inputted the wrong time in his file then." Moriarty said before he and Sherlock can to the same realization, "Or someone altered his file." He said with Sherlock looking to the corner of his room, seeing his laptop. He then quickly opened an brought up a folder showing an image of Victor Frankenstein on it, "This is not right, the content of his file has been changed. Most of his prior work is not matching what I know the man has done before."

"It's been altered to make it seem like he could not be skilled enough to make the black gunk," Sherlock said as he examined the file, gritting his teeth, "How could I have been this careless." He said before he had an idea, "But, our foe just flashed their mistake." He said as he began to type into the computer, "Victor's file was modified at a peculiar time, and if I search someone else who's file was changed in close proximity to that." He said before he pulled up a file of a missing Saber class professor, "Gilles de Ras." He said as he continued to type, "And if I use my override code, I can see what exactly was changed." Said before the final press of a button, causing Moriarty to widen his eyes.

"Not only is his time he went missing different, but he could become a caster class," the mathematics professor responded, "But, he gains insanity."

"AU!" Fran said as she pointed at the screen.

"You're right." Moriarty said to her, "He matches the time seven years ago when your father left."

"That would now explain two components of the puzzle. Victor offering the mathematics impute, and Gilles the runic magic. As for the third, while I don't know the exactly the who, but I know the what." Sherlock said with Fran and Moriarty looking at him for calcification, "You two are in deep enough, what this black gunk does is make an Alter. An Alter is a being we classify as a manifestation of a person's aura mixed with the gunk to create a clone of themselves. Similar in many ways, but distinctly more menacing than the person could ever be." He then looked around his walls of information, "The way this black gunk was created was by three individuals. However, a version of the black gunk was discovered seven years ago. I could not re-engineer that sample as much as I could this one. However, it is possible that the two we just discovered could have made that weaker version of the gunk by themselves." He said as he noticed the linking between the mathematics and magic components existing in mass through the compound, "They made a version for their preliminary uses, and once they had made a suitable alter, they user it's imputed on creating the black gunk we see today." Sherlock then looked back at Moriarty and Fran with a grin, "Their leader made this to be an impossible to solve the mystery. Well, that is my impossible deduction."

"Au?" Fran asked.

"She right," Moriarty reiterated, "Who is the leader?"

"That, I know the answer to now." Sherlock said as he started to walk out the room, with Fran and Moriarty following, "They made this whole thing so that if someone were to discover the truth up until this point, they would point to the event seven years ago of the destruction of the one town. The same town the King of Knights fell victim to the black gunk, assumable creating her alter." He then looked back to the two, "But, that alter could not provide the knowledge to create the current black gunk, because Arturia had no knowledge of biology to speak of."

"What are you getting at with this?" Moriarty asked.

"I'm saying, they intentionally wanted Arturia to have an Alter at the start of their operation to make alters, meaning this was the leader's call despite its illogical uses to the grand scope of creating the black gunk. An Alter is meant to be the opposite of the individual they are based from. So, if the leader wanted an Alter of the King of Knight, they must hate the King of Knight in their current form." He said with Moriarty realizing who Sherlock was talking about, "The one who is leading them, it is Guinevere. The only one who had authority to change personal files, the only one who could have the leadership potential for an operation of this scale, and the only one who has a motive to hate the way Arturia is now."

"Holmes, are you sure about this?" Moriarty responded.

"Guinevere is smarter than people gave her credit for, her leadership skills were matching of the that of the King of Knights." Sherlock responded before he crossed his arms, "Truth be told, I considered Arturia to be the leader of this evil group. That was what the evidence was starting to point me towards. Her vanishing, her leadership skills, even the self-hatred she must from being in that female body that ruined her marriage. She could have made her own Alter willingly, that is not an impossible consideration."

"Then why do you say it is Guinevere?" Moriarty said as he crossed his arms, "Arturia who I thought you were going to say."

"That is what Guinevere wanted people to say." Sherlock responded, "Regardless of the two, this entire operation can be traced back to the hatred spurred from Arturia, the King of Knight, turning into a woman. Throwing both Guinevere and Arturia's lives down different paths that could lead to this moment. But there is one distinction between the two." He said as he turned to Moriarty and Fran, "Guinevere hates Arturia, but Arturia does not hate Guinevere. No matter how much she may be tempted, the pride of the King of Knights would never institute a plan to lead someone to suspected anyone she once loved as a culprit. If Arturia was ever to walk a dark path, she would do so letting people know it was her from the start." He said with Moriarty having that realization, "But with Guinevere, someone who's love for her former husband was replaced with hatred. It would be perfect for her if after someone figured out this extremely difficult puzzle, they change all their attention to the person she hates most. She left the same time Arturia did because she knows more people would be concerned with the King of Knight's vanishing then her own disappearance."

"Au," Fran responded.

"I see now, that does make sense." Moriarty responded, somewhat upset in having to agree with Holmes, "We need to inform the headmaster."

"Which is exactly where I am heading." Sherlock said with a grin, causing Moriarty to slightly scowl, "Guinevere made a fatal mistake in her plan." He said as he looked forward, "She left before I became an advisor."

 **AN: There you go, a little bit of a breather before Round Two starts, which will be next the chapter. The good guys figured it out who is the one that made the gunk and who are their main enemies. Now, you as the reader already knew who the bad guys were. I wanted this part to showcase Sherlock figuring it out and the reader to see him finding the solution, when the reader does know the answer already. (Think of it like in Jojo part three, Joseph figures out DIO's stands power, even though we already saw Kakyoin figure out the answer. It's meant to show how deductive the character really is). Still, he would not have gotten it without the help of Moriarty and Fran. With this information, they can now prepare for coming battle, but is it too late already?** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	61. Chapter 58 - The Next Challenge

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one marks the start of round two, one of the more chaotic rounds of the four. This round will be a little long than round one, being around three chapters if everting goes right.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 58 – The Next Challenge**

 _Assassin_

With round two of The Grand Order commencing, Mercury teleports into the middle of a hallway of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. He quickly looks at his hands and legs, patting them down to make sure everything was still attached, "You're fine," Caren spoke in his head in a dull voice, "I can tell from here if a body part didn't come with you."

"Don't judge me for being paranoid at the moment." Mercury said as finished looking over his body, "Besides, this is not something I'm used to. I didn't know what would happen."

"Well, it would have been interesting if something did happen." Caren said as she looked at the monitor, smirking, but Mercury just glared back, "Anyway, you had best keep your voice down and not attract too much attention."

"I know that," Mercury said as he walked down the halls, hugging the right side, "So, be honest with me, can I take on any one of these powerhouses?"

"Well…no." Caren responded, "Your best bet is to let them fight each other, tire themselves out, and then you make your move."

"At least we agree on something." Mercury said moved down the halls, "If I win, I can get this school to send someone to kill my father once and for all." He said as he tightened his fists, "Last time I fought him, I only won because he was exhausted from a prior job. It's too risky for me to go out and find him, I need to be here for Jack and Rhyme." He then had a thought to himself, "But, who could kill my old man?"

"Hmmm…. maybe Bazett could kill him," Caren said, causing Mercury to have a look of confusion, "Oh yeah, I can hear when you think to yourself."

"Don't do that!" Mercury shouted out in anger, "That's messed up!"

"There you are." Mercury heard a voice call from behind him as he realized he blew his position, he turned around to discover Edmond standing with his arms cross, "You must be Assassin."

"It's Mercury." Mercury said as he took up a fighting stance, "And who are you?"

Edmond the turned his back to his foe, radiating a menacing aura, "I am the Count of Monte Cristo, The King of the Cavern, The Vengeance Grimm." He then glanced back at Mercury, "But for the purposes of The Grand Order, I am Avenger."

"He's what I call Edgelord, but the school wouldn't let me make that a real class." Caren said to Mercury, "But don't let his ego fool you, he is quite strong."

"Any other advice?" Mercury sarcastically asked before he noticed Edmond gathering can condensing a black and dark blue aura in his hands.

"Yes, dodge," Caren said before Emond threw his attacks at the grey-haired assassin. Mercury ducked out of the way, but as he looked up, Edmond had already lunged at him. Avenger's right arm was beginning to be covered in a darker aura, almost looking claw-like in appearance. He attempted to strike down at his opponent, but Mercury shot a blast of wind dust from his boots, launching him out of the way as the claw embedded in the floor.

Edmond yanked out his arm before looking over to Mercury, seeing him running away, "You can't escape me." Avenger said as his eyes sparked with electricity. He then lunged towards his opponent, leaving a trail of energy behind him. As Mercury looked back, he saw Edmond already in mid-slash. The grey-haired assassin couldn't dodge this time as his opponent slashed him in the back. Mercury fell to one knee as Edmond moved to stand before him, "Is that really all it takes."

Mercury gritted his teeth before placing his left palm on the floor, pivoting his body to the left. A shot of wind dust came from his right leg, causing it to swing at high speed counterclockwise to sweep Edmond's leg. As Avenger was still in shock while in midair, Mercury repositions himself, delivering a double kick to his opponent's abdomen. At the moment of impact, Mercury unleashed another blast of wind dust to send Edmond flying back a few meters. Even though Edmond recovered in midair before landing on his feet, he still gritted his teeth as he held his stomach, "If you think you're the worst thing I've faced since coming here," Mercury said as he resumed his fighting stance, "You're more delusional than I thought."

"Oh, now I remember you," Edmond said with a smirk, "You're the guy who when he came here kept getting his legs broken." He said with Mercury glaring at him, "Oh, did I bring up some bad memories."

"More than you know," Mercury said under his breath as he clenched his fist. He then used a blast of just from his weapons to shot himself towards Edmond. However, the Avenger leaped forward as well, radiating the light blue energy from his body. The two collided in the middle, their right forearms bashed against one another on the point of impact, glaring into each other's eyes.

 _Saber_

Weiss walked through down the halls as she looked at her Myrtenaster dust cartridges. Suddenly, she heard something approach her from being. She readied her weapon to see what looked like two white doves diving towards her. At the same time, Wiess dodged and slashed the two projectiles, causing them to revert to stands of hair. She then took a defensive stance as she looked down the shadowy hallway, "Well, this is interesting." A female voice spoke from the shadows, revealing herself as Illya who wore a purple winter coat and hat along with a fur white scarf, "I was not expecting my first opponent to be Saber."

"If I remember, you're the Caster of this round," Weiss responded with Illya sneering with a smile.

"I am Illyasviel von Einzbern," Illya said with a small bow as she pinched her coat, "But, Caster is fine for now."

"I am Weiss Schee, the Saber class of this round." Weiss responded, "Did you really think two small birds could defeat me?"

"You're right, four should be enough." Illya said before she adjusted her hair with both hands, pulling off four stands of hair, "Knights of Stork." Illya said before the strands quickly took shape into the doves Weiss just saw, each radiating a light blue light from their body. Illya then pinched her dress as she made a small curtsy, prompting her familiars to attack.

Weiss readied to slash them again but was shocked to discover the birds firing beams light from their beaks. She jumped back to dodge, seeing one bird try to flank her form her right side. The Heiress then created a Glyph in its path. Before the Knights of Stork could recover, the glyph spawned a pillar of ice, encapsulating in within the cold prison. Weiss then looked to see the other three birds charging to fire all at once. At that moment, the heiress made a large black glyph between her. As the Knights of Stork unleashed their attack, the glyph turned clear, resembling that of a massive snowflake made of ice. The beams bounced off the ice shield, unable to make an impact.

"You see Wiess," Semiramis spoke to her candidate in her mind, "Your Glyphs are far more refined since I first meet you," She said with Wiess having a look of anger, "What's wrong?"

"How is it this little brat can make summons of this nature, but I cannot?" Weiss commented, "But, I don't really want to practice her style if it means using up all my hair." She said before having a slight giggle, "I kind of just sounded like Yang for a second."

"Focus Weiss!" Semiramis said with Weiss snapping out of it. The heiress looked up to see her ice barrier crake. Suddenly, a massive white sword crashed through the glyph. Weiss dodged it by jumping back, leading the blade embedding in the floor.

Weiss then looked over to Illya smiling as two of the Knights of Stork transforming shape into the same sword that attacked her, "This is their dagger form." Illya spoke up, "But as you can see, they're a little bigger and stronger than a normal dagger." She said before the two blades swiftly headed towards Weiss. The heiress parried the blades with her Myrtenaster, but the consecutive attacks caused a line of sweet to appear on her forehead. Weiss then noticed the blade in the floor free itself, join the other two in their attacks against her. With all three, Weiss struggled to keep her eyes on each one. Slowly, they started to bypass her defense, leaving small cuts across her arms and legs. After one slash left a mark on her right cheek, Weiss gritted her teeth. She then stabbed the floor with her Myrtenaster, creating multiple pillars of ice to appear out of the ground. they collide with the blades at high speed, breaking them, reverting each back to the stands of hair. Wiess then rushed forward towards Illya, her rapier aimed at the center of her opponent's body. While the heiress' face was determined, Illya had a look of confidence. Suddenly, Weiss felt a sharp pain in her back. She fell to the floor a few feet before Illya. She then looked at her back to see a large gash across it. The looked back at Illya, seeing one of the Knights of Stork in its dagger form, blood dripping from the end of the blade. Weiss was confused where this one can form, but she then remembered. She looked back to the Knight of Stork that tried to flank her that she had encased in a block of ice, but only melting ice remained.

"Weiss, you are badly injured," Semiramis said, "I can use the command seal to heal you."

"No, we need to save it." Weiss said as she pushed her left up, glaring at Illya, "I know the others in this round are stronger than her, I'll need it for when I fight them." Suddenly, she gritted her teeth as a few palm-sized white glyphs appeared on her back. They glowed for a few seconds before vanishing, reducing the size of the wound and stopping the bleeding.

"Oh, you think you will make it out of this match up the winner." Illya said before she looked behind her, "Though, I would say you have a better chance than the one hiding." She said with Wiess looking to see what Illya was seeing. Emerging from the corner was Ushiwakamaru, her teeth gritted as she looked at Illya, "It looks like Rider here wanted to wait until I let my guard down. But that's not going to happen." Illya said as Ushiwakamaru drew her sword while Weiss readied her weapon. Illya smiled as she stood between the two, "I guess I can make a couple more," Illya said as she adjusted her hair.

Suddenly, Ushiwakamaru rushed Illya, drawing her sword as she attempted a horizontal slash. However, the stands of hair that fell from the casters head created two more Knights of Stork in their blade for. One blocked Ushiwakamaru's assault, while the other attempted to stab her in the gut. The rider jumped back to avoid the stab, while Weiss lunged towards Illya with a downward strike. But Illya parried it with her other Knights of Stork.

While the rider and saber continued their assault, neither could land a hit on the caster. Ushiwakamaru blocked one of the strikes from the Knights of Stork. But the force of the impact had sent her into Weiss, causing both to fall a few meters away from their opponent. Illya laughed as her three Knights of Stork returned to their dove form before opening fire on the pair. Weiss gasped before creating an ice barrier glyph like before, blocking the shots, "Hey you," Weiss frantically said to Ushiwakamaru, "She is getting too annoying to fight alone, so let's work together to beat this brat." She said with the rider quickly nodding before both noticed the ice barrier crack. They then got up and jumped backward as one of the Knights of Stork had returned to a sword form.

"Fighting me together or separate doesn't matter," Illya said as she watched her opponent continue to back up as he dodged the Knights of Stork attacks, "My defenses are impregnable."

"We'll see about that," Weiss said as she threw her Myrtenaster like a javelin at Illya. However, all the caster had to do was tilt her head slightly to the left to avoid the weapon. Myrtenaster embedded in the floor behind her as she scoffed at the opponents.

However, Illya had a look of confusion as she looked down the hallway, barely noticing her opponents at the other end. Knights of Stork they slowly started to lose their shape as Weiss and Ushiwakamaru stood still, "Those things are persistent, but they cannot operate too far from their master." Semiramis informed Weiss, "This is our chance."

"Got it," Weiss said as she clasped her hands together. Suddenly, a whitish yellow glyph appeared below Ushiwakamaru. The glyph radiated an aura that covered the rider as she held her sword, "You can do the rest now." Weiss said with Ushiwakamaru smirking.

The rider then held her sword with a look of focus down the halls, "Dan no Ura." Ushiwakamaru chanted to herself, "Jumping the Eight Boats." She the leap forward, vanishing in a flash. In front of one of the dove Knights of Stork, she reappeared to slash it in half. Then, she disappeared again as the familiar returned to a strand of hair. She did the same to the other dove, and even cut the blade one down the middle.

Illya watched in panic as Ushiwakamaru seemingly teleported her way toward her. The caster tired to run, but suddenly realized she couldn't move her legs. Illya looked down to discover her boots her frozen over. As she looked to the origin of the ice, her eyes widened again to see the permafrost was created form Myrtenaster, "Why you-" Illya said in anger as she turned back to Weiss but cut herself off upon discovering Ushiwakamaru right in front of her face. In a split second, Ushiwakamaru went from in front of Illya in mid-swing to a few steps passed Illya. Upon the rider sheathing her sword, an eruption of blood came from Illya as she screamed in pain. Ushiwakamaru then sighed as the aura Wiess gave her had vanished.

"That's it for you," Weiss said to Illya as she walked over, "You can't continue in your condition." Illya giggled as tried to stop the bleeding. Weiss then noticed Illya's crest glowing as the wound began to close, causing the heiress to glare at her. Suddenly, Illya's body glowed white in a flash, followed by a small explosion. Weiss and Ushiwakamaru shielded their eyes from, but then discovered a small hole where the caster once stood.

"Did she withdrawal from the round?" Weiss asked Semiramis.

"No, she fled to regain her stamina," Semiramis replied, "You best move is to go after her before she can properly regroup."

"Understood," Weiss said as she noticed her Myrtenaster on the floor. Upon picking it up, she noticed someone else was missing, "Where did Rider go?"

"My guess she might have left in the confusion." Semiramis responded, "You can go after her if you want."

"No, she helped me with Caster, I owe her one." Weiss said as she looked at the hole, "Besides, I have unfinished business with that brat," The heiress said before jumping down the hole.

Hiding in the shadows, Ushiwakamaru sighed as she watched Weiss go down that hole, "I was hoping to run into my brother, not two other fighters." The rider said to herself, "Hopeful, those two take each other out, and I can focus on protecting him, so he can be the last one standing." She said as she began to walk away, "I don't have a wish, but I know he does. No matter what, I have to make sure he wins." She said before she began to run down the halls, "But, where is he?"

 _Avenger_

Meanwhile, Mercury was violently tossed into a rocky arena. His body slammed against a large boulder, creating a crake before he fell to the ground, "Wow, you were putting up a good fight there for a while." Caren spoke in the grey-haired assassin's head, causing him to grit his teeth as he pushed himself up, "But, you're losing stamina a lot faster than he is."

"I know that," Mercury said as he got up, glaring over at the approaching Avenger, "I need some advice on how to beat him."

"Well, you're should look for an opening after he uses his Noble Phantasm." Caren said as Edmond's body became engulfed in a blue, "That is unless you lose right now."

"You are the worst!" Mercury responded to Caren before he took up a defensive stance.

"It's time to end this," Edmond said as his body violently radiated the blue flames, "I've gone beyond love and hatred..." he muttered to himself before leaping forward. Mercury tried to counter with a right kick, but Edmond dodged out of the way. His body moved like a flame in the wind as he glided to the grey-haired assassin's right side. The Avenger then tackled right into him, sending Mercury flying through the arena in pain. Before Mercury could recover, Edmond spoke directly behind him, "Enfer…" he said before kicking Mercury straight into the air. While unable to defend, Mercury was bombarded with Edmond charging into him, juggling and keeping him in midair with each collision. After a few moments, Mercury coughed blood as he found himself facing the ceiling. While his vision was blurry, his eyes widened as he discovered multiple Edmonds glaring down at him, each one charging a beam in their hands, "Chateau d'If!" The Avenger said before each one fired a blue flame laser at Mercury, all colliding with the same spot at the same time. Mercury screamed in agony before a large explosion overcame the area, the rocky terrain turned into a gravel yard in the shockwave of the blast.

After a few seconds, the copies of Edmond vanished as the real one landed on the ground. He then looked over the area, noticing no signs of another person, "Hey Edmond," Kintoki spoke in Avenger's head, "Assassin is not registered at defeated yet."

"So, he's hanging on by a thread?" Edmond said as he walked around the arena, "Where is he?" He then noticed a metallic leg sticking out of the stone, causing him to grin, "You have my respect for withstanding my strongest attack." Edmond said as he walked over, grabbing the heel of the leg with his right hand, "But, I'll just toss you around until you are knocked out." He then smirked as he tightened his grip, "So long, Assassin!" he said as he threw what was in his right hand towards a large rock. However, Edmond soon realized what he threw was a lot lighter than what he thought, "What?" he said as saw just the metal leg break against the stone. He then looked back at the spot he pulled it out of but discovered nothing. Avenger gritted his teeth as he scanned the area.

Suddenly, Mercury leaped out of the stone pile behind Edmond, latching onto his back, "Gotcha you." The grey-haired assassin said with a grin, locking his arms around Edmond in a full nelson. While his body clothes were tattered and blood dripped from his forehead, he was still conscious.

"You-" Edmond said as he tried to struggle free, but could not, "You used your own prosthetic leg as a distraction!?" he said with Mercury not letting go, "But I hit you at point-blank range!"

"I guess I'm just luckier than you!" Mercury said with Edmond trying to shake free but to no avail. Back in her room, Caren looked at her command seal fade from her hand, causing her to grin, "Sorry, but you're not going anywhere."

"Impressive Mercury," Caren said with a smile, "But, what is your next move?"

"How about this," Mercury said before he took a deep breath, he then shouted at the top of his lungs, "HEY, GOLDEN JACKASS!" Mercury shouted, causing Edmond's eyes to widen, "Why are you hiding, are you scared on me?" he said with Edmond trying to shake Mercury free, "If you can hear me, come and get me!" he said with a smirk, "Unless you're not the King of Heroes, but actually the King of Cowards!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake violently. Mercury then let go of Edmond while he was confused at the situation, kicking him with his left leg. At that moment, he fired a blast of wind from his weapon to launch himself toward the right exit out of the arena. Edmond stubbled after the attack as he had a look of panic filled his eyes. Erupting from the was a golden spear, aim right for the center of his chest. Edmond grabbed the head of the spear before it could pierce his body. However, a golden sword emerged from the ground and embedded in his right shoulder. Edmond coughed blood before another spear came out of the ground and ledged into his right leg. More and more golden weapons came out of the ground in rapid succession, each collision with Edmond's body lifted him more into the air higher and higher. Eventually, his body collided with the ceiling, but the onslaught of weapons continued.

After nearly a minute of torture, the golden barrage stopped as Gilgamesh jumped out of the hole, wearing his golden armor. He crossed his arms as he glared up at the mass of his golden weapons. The size and radiance of them resembled the sun as they gemmed down over the arena. He then pulled out his right hand and snapped his fingers, causing all the weapons to fade away. Stock to the ceiling was Edmond, his body mangled as he groaned in agony, "Hmm, wrong Mongrel." The King of Heroes said as Edmond eventfully loosened from the ceiling. While he was in freefall, his body vanished from the battlefield.

 _Avenger Defeated._

"Now, where is that Mongrel," Gilgamesh said as he looked over the area. Suddenly, he heads the sound of someone walking toward out the left entrance to the arena. Upon glancing over, he noticed it was Pyrrha emerging from the shadows, a piercing gaze as she held her two-headed spear in her left hand, "Oh," Gilgamesh said with a smirk, "I suppose you can serve as a replacement, for now." The King of Heroes said before making a maniacal laugh, while Pyrrha readied in a combat stance.

 **AN: There you go, the beginning to the second round starts strong. Mercury uses his creativity (Barrowing a little bit from FMA: B) to outplay Edmond. The only thing Mercury has over the Avenger is luck. Granted not that much, but at least he has it as a stat. And to clarify, Caren used her Command Seal to boost up Mercury's defense, so he could stand the Noble Phantasm. Then Avenger got the worst end of the Gate of Babylon, effectively taking him out as the first loss of round two. Weiss works with another speedster to take on Illya, but that was only her first half of the battle with the caster. Also, in the next chapter, we get the rematch between Pyrrha and Gilgamesh, but will it be the same outcome as the fight more than fifty chapters ago?** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	62. Chapter 59 - Pride

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support and encouragement for this story. We are just about to hit 400 reviews, that is amazing to see. While I don't always have the time to respond right away, I do read every one of them and appreciate the time people put into their thoughts on what I did. This chapter has two very hyped battles, including the use of a certain weapon. Thank you for also looking at the TV tropes page for this story, it has a lot of great content on it to help understand the story better. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 59 – Pride**

 _Lancer_

"Pyrrha Nikos," Vlad spoke in his fighter's mind, "I understand your anger at him, but you must not let that cloud your focus."

"I know that," Pyrrha spoke back to him as she glared at Gilgamesh, "All I am focused on is beating him."

"If I recall, your semblance does not work on my golden weapons." The King of Heroes said before he snapped his finger, creating a yellow vortex near his head. he smirked as a golden sword ejected from the portal, heading straight for the red-haired warrior. Pyrrha tightens her grip on her divine spear, causing a black aura sphere to appear around her presence. As the golden sword collided with the aura, its trajectory varied away from Pyrrha, crashing into the side of the wall near her. Gilgamesh grinned as Pyrrha remained focused, "So, this will be a bit more interesting than last time."

"That is one thing we can agree on," Pyrrha responded, "This won't be like last time." She said before rushing forward.

Gilgamesh laughed before snapping his fingers again, "Gate of Babylon." He declared before multiple of vortexes appeared, each firing a barrage of weapons at Pyrrha. However, each one did not touch the red-haired warrior as she closed in on her opponent. Gilgamesh's expression changed to one of discontent as he raised in right hand. Out of one of the gates came a large battle ax. The King of Heroes grabbed the weapon by the handle and then swung it down against his foe. But like the other weapons, the metal would not get close to Pyrrha.

In close range, she then thrust her Gae Akuno toward Gilgamesh's chest. However, the King of Heroes let go of his weapon, jumping back to avoid the attack, "No you don't!" Pyrrha said as her black aura barrier expanded. Gilgamesh gritted his teeth as the aura covered him. He soon felt locked into midair before heard back towards Pyrrha's spear.

Suddenly, Pyrrha had a look of shook as Gilgamesh's chest armor vanished away. In the confusion, the King of Heroes shifted his body away from the spearhead. In dodging, he attempted to deliver a right kick. Pyrrha repositioned her spear to block the hit, but she was still pushed a few meters away from the force of the impact. She gritted her teeth as Gilgamesh landed on the ground, "You removed part of your golden armor to loosen my hold over it."

"I did," Gilgamesh said as he ran his right-hand fingers through his hair, "I would not want such a dent on my armor." He said as Pyrrha noticed something odd. On his upper torso were multiple red line tattoos, "I would advise you not to stare." Gilgamesh said in a smirk, pulling his hand out of his hair, "For you see, it might make someone get the wrong idea." he said with Pyrrha gritting her teeth.

"Why do you have those tattoos?" Pyrrha asked, but Gilgamesh created another gate vortex and fired a golden sword. This time, however, Pyrrha focused on the weapon, causing it to redirect towards. Just before it could collide with his body, the King of Heroes created another vortex, firing another spear at close range. The two-weapon destroyed each other in the impact, creating a cloud of smoke. As Pyrrha watched the smoke clear, she saw Gilgamesh with a scowl on his face, "You've already lost." She said with him raising an eyebrow, "Don't you see," Pyrrha said as Gilgamesh looked around the arena, noticing a blackish tint over everything, "I expanded my aura through this entire enclosure. Meaning, in combination with my weapon and semblance, I can control any kind of metal object you throw at me and send it right back." She said with him glaring at her, causing her to make a small grin, "Your Gate of Babylon is useless." Gilgamesh gritted his teeth as his vortexes vanished. However, he soon smiled before manically laughing, "What!?" Pyrrha said with a look of rage in her eyes, "Why are you still so confident."

"You amuse me, Pyrrha Nikos." Gilgamesh responded as he crossed his arms, "At one point, I would have considered you Vale's Champion. That could have even been your title if you had won the Grand Order." He then scowled as he looked at her, "But, you show a king too much disrespect to warrant such a title to be bestowed upon. The way you are right now, you are nothing more to me than a mongrel."

"What did you just call me!?" Pyrrha responded in a rage.

"He is trying to get in your head Pyrrha," Vlad spoke to her, "Do not let him!"

"Only a mongrel would think that a month of training and a new toy would be enough to take down the King of Heroes." Gilgamesh continued, "You value your own progress more than goals and achievements of others."

"Are you really the one lecturing me on that!?" Pyrrha said as she pointed at him with her spear, "You are just an arrogant brat who thinks that his collection of weapons makes him the world's strongest heroic spirit."

"I know what I am, but you seem to have lost who you were." He said with Pyrrha going silent, "And you are wrong on another point. It is not my collection that makes me the strongest heroic spirit, it is just one weapon." he said as a yellow vortex appeared near the left side of his head, "I only use this weapon against worthy opponents. But in your case, I will make an exception to prove to you why I am known as the King of Heroes. I shall unlock the key to my treasury." Gilgamesh said as he reached into the vortex, slowly pulling out a golden hand to a sword. However, the shape of the weapon was unlike a normal sword, resembling more of a dull cone-shape. The blade was a black metal with red lines matching the ones on his body, "It is time for judgment, Ea."

Pyrrha reached out her right hand, causing Ea to glow in the black aura. However, as Gilgamesh scowled and tightened his grip, a crimson aura erupted from the odd weapon, "What!?" Pyrrha said as she then noticed the aura that she had expanded around the area had begun to vanish as if it was being torn apart right in front of her. Gilgamesh raised the word up and over his head.

"Pyrrha, that weapon is far stronger than what you are capable of controlling." Vlad said, "You have to withdraw now."

"No," Pyrrha responded to Vlad, "If I can't fight him now, then I-" She said as she was cut off by the shockwave of energy coming from Gilgamesh weapon, "I need you to use your command seal to increase my aura."

"Pyrrha, what is your plan?" Vlad asked, but the red-haired fighter remained silent as she looked up Gilgamesh, "…Very well, by my command seal, I will lean you my energy, I trust your judgment."

"Thank you," Pyrrha said as she became enclosed in her black aura sphere liked before. she closed her eyes as the aura began to expand crashing into the crimson energy generated by Gilgamesh's weapon, "Gae Milo: Barrier!" She said as the sphere changed to an oblong shape, covering over the area of the arena.

"This is the Sword of Truth, my Sword of Rupture that will tear apart this the very world of Remnant." The King of Hearos said as he glared down a Pyrrha, the crimson energy bashing with the rest of the arena, carrying the stones and rubble as it began to spin in a red cyclone, "Take this!" he shouted as swung his right arm back with Ea, "Enuma Elish!" Gilgamesh declared before he thrust his sword towards Pyrrha, causing all the crimson energy to rocket towards her.

The aura barrier held up against the blast of energy as Pyrrha held focused on maintaining it, "Just a little more, come on." She said as she saw her aura began to fade as more of the Enuma Elish collided against it. Suddenly, Pyrrha fell to one knee as her vision became blurry. She still tried to look up but saw starting to see rays of the crimson energy break through the barrier. The beams headed straight for her in small burst. Pyrrha pointed her spear at them, "Gae Milo: Blast!" she spoke as a beam of black aura shot from the spear. The two types of energy collided, but the crimson energy beat out her attack. Pyrrha jumped out the way but was carried in the shockwave of the attack. Her breathing was heavy as she pushed herself up, her right hand on her head to help her stay conscious. As she stood up, she looked to see the rest of her aura fading in the barrier. However, through the beam of Enuma Elish, Pyrrha looked to see Gilgamesh with a focused gaze. His form had not lessened he was not even breathing hard, "He really is this strong." Pyrrha said as she looked up to him, "The gap between us, it's far larger than I thought." She said as she gritted her teeth, "Was all of my hard work for nothing, to just lose here?" She said as tears started formed in her eyes. However, she stopped herself, "No, I won't cry!" she said as quickly brushed her eyes, "Gilgamesh…I underestimated you twice in a row now. You are stronger than me." Pyrrha said as she tightened her grip on her weapon, "I lost this fight, but I am not going down on your terms." She said as she raised her weapon causing it to glow in a black aura. At the same time, the barrier had vanished, causing the full brunt of the Enuma Elish to head towards Pyrrha, "If this is you at your max. Then, I need to be even stronger than this the next time we fight." Pyrrha said before she stabbed the floor with her Gae Akuno.

The Enuma Elish engulfed the arena floor, blasting through the entirety of the bottom floor of the Hanging Garden of Babylon. After a few more seconds of unleashed the attack, the crimson energy stopped flowing out of Ea as Gilgamesh lowered his weapon. He then looked to see the massive hole in the arena. Gilgamesh descended the hole, falling more than a dozen floor levels to the bottom of the garden. As he got to the last floor, he looked to see Pyrrha, her body mangled, and armor tattered, dangling from the edge towards the area below the Garden. While body was limp, she hung onto her spear that was embedded in the final floor. Gilgamesh glared down as he recalled his Ea, "So, you would rather take the hit of my ultimate Noble Phantasm than lose to your own inability to defend against the attack." He said as Pyrrha remained unresponsive, "It is a miracle you are even alive, and even more that you still hanging on." He said before he realized Pyrrha eyes, which were vacant of awareness, "But, your own will to not lose is why you didn't allow my attack to defeat you." Gilgamesh then looked to see a small amount of black aura on the spear, but soon saw it fad away. The Gae Akuno slowly slipped out of the hunk of metal that was keeping it in place, causing it and Pyrrha to fall. Gilgamesh watched as her body quickly teleported away, "So, you lost because of you own pride."

 _Lancer eliminated by ring out._

Gilgamesh then had a small grin as he closed his eyes, "For a mongrel, that was an impressive amount a determination." Suddenly, Gilgamesh felt the ground beneath him shift down, "What!?" he said as he opened his eyes. The King of Heroes looked up, his eyes widened upon his discovery. The metal support beans between each floor were covered in the black aura. However, as the aura faded away, the bottom half of the entire Hanging Garden of Babylon fall off. Gilgamesh then realized Pyrrha's last move, "She used the last of her energy in her semblance to weaken the support structure in the bottom floor."

Gilgamesh tried to jump, believing he could escape before the collapse, but he couldn't move his legs. He then looked down to discover a black aura on his golden boots, now noticing he was standing on the same metal slab Pyrrha's spear was lodged into. The bottom floor then shifted again, this time more than before. In a moment of silences, Gilgamesh knew to himself what would happen next, "DAMN YOU!" Gilgamesh declared before the bottom level of the Hanging Garden of Babylon detached from the rest of the flying fortress. The mass of stone and steel feel over the empty plain of the land of Apocrypha.

 _Archer eliminated by ring out_

Back at Chaldea, Gilgamesh transported into one of the small rooms for fighters. His arms were crossed as he had a look of irritation on his face. Sitting in the corner were Yang and Enkidu, who smirked as they looked at him, "Don't even say it." The King of Heroes said as he sighed.

"Say what?" Enkidu commented, with a slight giggle.

"Yeah, what?" Yang added on, a snicker in her voice as well, "I mean, sixth place, isn't that bad." Gilgamesh then turned to her with a glare, "Calm down, we are just having a little fun." Yang said as she and Enkidu stood up, "You were awesome out there."

"I agree," Enkidu added on, "I was not expecting you to use Ea, that was a surprise."

"Yeah, it made you look pretty badass." Yang said with a wink to the King of Heroes, causing him to sigh, "Besides, you already won one of these things, let someone else have a chance."

"I suppose with me eliminated," Gilgamesh said before making a slight smile, "The Queen of White has a chance of winning this round."

"That's the spirit," Yang said as she clapped her hands together, "Let's see how Weiss is doing." She said began cycling through the reeds on the monitor.

"By the way," Enkidu asked Gilgamesh, "Shouldn't you put on a shirt."

"I think he's fine," Yang responded, causing the King of Heroes to raise an eyebrow. She then looked to see her teammate walking through the halls of the Hanging Garden.

 _Caster._

"We're in luck," Semiramis spoke to the heiress, "It appears Avenger, Lancer, and Archer are all eliminated."

"I see," Weiss said with a smile, "That explains why I felt this whole fortress shaking."

"I can see the damage to my Garden… it is not something I am looking forward to fixing for the next round." The depraved beauty said in a begrudging voice, "Regardless, as soon as we defeat Caster, the remaining fighters will not pose any problem." She said as Weiss walked out of the hallway and into an arena of ice.

"She can't have too much stamina left after that first fight," Weiss said as she examined the area, "Where is she?" Suddenly, Weiss felt an ominous presence from above her. She looked to discover a lightish red beam heading straight for her. At the last second, she jumped back to avoid the attack. The beam not only melted through the ice but the floor below it. As Weiss landed, she made a black glyph near her feet to prevent her from slipping on the ice, "If your sneak attack did not work the first time, what made you think it would work a second time?" She said as she looked up to see Illya atop a pillar of holding a large red wand. At the head of the want was a star emblem with white wings on the side.

"Call it a little test," Illya responded, "I wanted to see if when you jumped back, you would fall on your butt and cry."

"The only one that is going to crying is you," Weiss responded, "So, that thing is your Noble Phantasm?"

"It is," Illya said with a grin, "And it always me to do this," Illya said as her body become enveloped in a pink light. Suddenly, all her pulper winter attire seemed to be replaced by something else. Her boots changed to pink, long style ones with wings near the laces. She now wore a pink and white dress with a frilled skirt. A pair of white gloves appeared on her hands, her hat was replaced with feather-like accessories on each side of her head. Illya's body began to levitate as posed with a wink to Weiss, "I call this, my magical girl transformation!"

"…What?" Weiss said with a deadpan stare, "You look like an idiot."

"Hey, I worked for a long time on this!" Illya shouted back as her face turned red, "This is a true battle outfit!"

"Whatever, it just makes you look even more like the brat you are," Weiss said as Illya pouted in anger, "Truth be told, you do resemble my partner Ruby. That does seem like something she would wear, albeit maybe a bit redder." Weiss said before sighing, "At least it would look better than the hideous thing Elizabeth got her." She then looked up to see Illya looking at her magic wand, "What is it?"

"Oh, you see, I didn't name my wand here yet." Illya responded, "But that one you said, Ruby, I kind of like it." the magical girl said with Weiss readying with her own weapon, "You have my thanks for that, but I'm still going to destroy you." Illya said as she waved her magic wand, casing small orbs of light to form around her, "Feuer!" She declared before the orbs launched at Weiss.

The heiress jumped back to dodge the blasts, noticing them exploding on contact with the ice, "These attacks are stronger than the ones before." She thought as she saw Illya dive boom towards. Weiss gritted her teeth as she saw Illya raise her wand to strike in midair. Weiss raised her Myrtenaster to block the swing. She pushed back Illya in the struggle before attempting a piercing thrust towards her opponent. However, Illya hovered over Weiss' blade to dodge.

Illya smirked as Weiss continued to fall. While still more than a few feet from the ground, Weiss created a black glyph to avoid hitting the ground, "What's wrong?" The magical girl commented, "You can't fly?"

"I don't need to fly when I have my glyphs as platforms," Weiss responded as she turned to look at Illya. She then readied her weapon and jumped towards Illya, her Myrtenaster aimed at her opponent.

Illya smirked as she simply hoovered out of the range of her opponent's stab. Weiss glared as she readjusted her position, created a new glyph in her path, and used it to jump towards Illya again. "That doesn't work on me." Illya responded as she moved to dodge, while Weiss repeated the process, "You can't hit me." Suddenly, Illya bumped her back against a wall of ice. She then gasped as she saw Weiss lunged towards her. However, Illya ascended to dodge, leading to Weiss' Myrtenaster embedding into the ice. Weiss tried to pull out the rapier but to no avail. The heiress then looked up to see Illya almost holding her wand like a bat, "Schneiden!" she said as she swung her wand, creating a horizontal wave of energy.

Weiss watched as she couldn't get out of the way. She then created a white glyph on the ice wall between her and oncoming attack. A large pillar of ice emerged from the ice, intercepting the hit. The energy wave cut through half of the ice block before dissipating. Weiss sighed before pulling out her Myrtenaster in one heavy pull. She fell before landing on her black glyph platform, examining the area, not seeing Illya anywhere, "Where is she?" Suddenly, she felt an ominous presence above her like before.

Weiss looked up, but gasped as she saw Illya charging a large ball of energy at the end of her wand, "This is my everything," Illya said as Weiss knew she could not avoid this one in time, "Quintet Fire!" Illya declared before unleashing her attack, causing the ball of energy to explode into a beam. The beam enveloped Weiss as she screamed in agony. The glyph she was standing on shattered as her body crashed against the ice floor. The residual shockwave cracked the pillars of ice in the arena. After a few seconds, Illya's beam stopped as she breathed heavily. She slowly descended near the crater she made with Wiess in the center, her combat skirt tattered and short-jacket destroyed. As she looked down at the heiress, a small grin was on her face, "Third times the cha-" The magical girl was saying until she heard Weiss coughed, slowly getting up, "How!?" Illya said as Weiss stood up, her accessory keeping her ponytail up broke off, "How are you still able to stand!?" the magical girl asked as Weiss glared at her, a trail of blood running down her scar over her eye.

"If you had hit me with that kind of attack a month ago, I would have been knocked out," Weiss responded, "But, I'm not as weak as I was back then. My aura may be depleted now, but I had enough to withstand that attack." Weiss said as Illya gritted her teeth. Suddenly, the magical girl's outfit flashed in a pink light. Once the light faded, Illya discovered herself back in her normal outfit, causing Weiss to grin, "You still have a while to learn how to manage your magical energy."

"It doesn't matter, I'll just have the command seal replenish my," Before Illya could finish her sentence, Weiss rushed her, slashing her across the chest with her Myrtenaster. Illya eyes widened as she felt the fast blood lost. As she fell to her knees, her body began to teleport.

"That command seal can be used to heal you from your injuries," Wiess said as looking down on Illya, giving the girl a cold stare, "Since you are now unable to continue." She said before Illya teleported out of the arena.

 _Caster Defeated._

Weiss sighed before she fell unto her right knee, dropping her weapon as her breathing was heavy, "Damn it." She said as sweat formed on her face, "I'm at my limit now, and there are still half the fighters left."

"That is true," Semiramis responded in Weiss' head, "But, we still have a command seal, one that I can use to bring you back to full strength."

"I don't need it yet," Weiss responded as she pushed herself up, "I should save it until I really need it."

"Weiss…" Semiramis responded, "Do you feel it will make you seem weak if you use my command seal?" She said with Weiss remaining silent, "Let me ask a different question, do you feel your family is watching you right now, practically your father?"

"…" Weiss said nothing as she tightened her fists, "… I know he is not watching, that is why I can fight the way I want right now."

Semiramis smiled as she looked at her fighter through the monitor, "I see. But remember, we are a team here. If you are not going to value my strength, I will remove you from this round right now."

Weiss had a small laugh as she started to walk, "Okay, I will use your power in my next fight. But for right now, I can still walk." Weiss said as she walked out of the ice arena.

As Weiss walked down the halls, she suddenly stopped as she examined the area, "What is it?" Semiramis asked, "Do you think another fighter is near?"

"I don't know, this is odd." Weiss said in an unsure voice, "But, why am I hearing a guitar being played?"

 **AN: There you go, three strong fighters are out. Pyrrha showed a lot of promise in her training in the last month, but that doesn't mean she is now able to beat The King of Heroes. She now knows what it takes to beat the strongest and needs to continue her training to catch up. Gilgamesh also loses, but this is really the only way he could lose in this round. Later in the story, even Pyrrha will say that she did not defeat Gilgamesh here, because she was already eliminated from the round before him. It was her aura deactivating that caused him to fall with the bottom of the Garden. Then, we saw Weiss verses Illya, who now is more in Prisma mode in her way of fighting here. Since the coincidence was there, I wanted to have a bit of an origin to the magic wand Ruby in its name, (To those who are wondering, it cannot talk here for story reasons, even though I think Ruby is the best part of that whole fate series). She loses to Weiss after running out of energy, but now Weiss is at her limits now. With four fighters left, you know who is coming up next. The next chapter will be the conclusion of round two, as well as having one of the most creative moments I have thought of for this series in a fight.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	63. Chapter 60 - Fearless

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. We finally hit 60 chapters of story content. It is hard for me to guess, but I would say there is about 30 more chapters until the conclusion of this story. We have the ending to round two here, and it's a dramatic finish. It has a lot of cool actions and shows one of my more creative moments in a fight within the context of this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 60 – Fearless**

 _Berserker_

Mercury walked down the halls using the wall as a crutch for his movement, "So, just three more left?" He asked Caren before stopping.

"Yes," She said as he leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, "But you seem to be just about ready to pass out."

"Have you seen what I have been through?" the grey-haired assassin responded sarcastically, "I'm just lucky I didn't run into another one of those-" he was saying until he noticed Ushiwakamaru walking around the corner, glancing over at him, "…I'm just going to stop talking now."

"M-Mercury!" Ushiwakamaru responded in shock, "What happened to you?" She said as she walked over to him. However, he glared at her, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with me, what's wrong with you!?" Mercury responded as he stood back, "This is a battle royal, why are you worried about your opponent!? That's weird!" She remained silent as he shouted at her, "In fact, you have been acting weird around me ever since I got to this school. What is your problem with me?"

"Mercury..." Ushiwakamaru said before going silent for a second. She then took a deep breath before speaking up, "…I'm your sister."

"…What?" Mercury responded with a dumbfounded look, "I don't have a sister."

"Yes, you do." Ushiwakamaru said as she made a step towards him, "Our father, Marcus Black, took you away from this land and the family you had." She said with him trying to back up, panic in his eyes at her saying that name, "Our mother passed away a long time ago, but I am still here for you."

"Shut up!" Mercury responded as he back up, "You can't say things like that!" Suddenly, Mercury had a sharp pain in the head. He remembered himself from the past, being no more than five years old, but the image was hazy. The boy wore a black t-shirt and shorts, a bandage on the bridge of his nose. He sat in a bed of flowers, but across from his was a little girl blue eyes and black hair fashioned in a small ponytail. She looked on the verge of crying as she looked at the bruises on the boy's legs, "It's okay Ushi." The boys said, "Daddy is just a little tougher on me because I'm a boy. When he trains with you, he'll go easy." His words did not stop her tears, However, the girl felt something placed onto her head by the boy. She looked up to see it was a flower crown, the pink and yellow petals acting as the gems with the stems all interlaced. She smiled at the almost radiance it seemed to give off, "Don't worry," The boy said as he stood up, "I'll always be here for you." The boy said with a big smile, causing the girl to laugh as she looked up to him.

"Mercury, please tell me you remember," Ushiwakamaru said in a sincere voice as she approached him. Noticing that he stopped trying to back up.

"I…" Mercury said as he held his head in pain. Suddenly, the two heard an odd noise. Ushiwakamaru quickly scanned the area for any enemies but did not see anyone coming down the halls, "…Is someone playing the guitar?" He said as she turned to her in confusion

Abruptly, the wall Mercury was leaning on was obliterated by something crashing through. Ushiwakamaru shielder herself from the derby but looked in horror to a gigantic skeleton hand gipping Mercury's entire body. He was powerless to push way the boney fingers as it dragged him through the wall, "Brother!" Ushiwakamaru screamed as she ran after it.

Nearby, Weiss ran through the halls, "Did you hear that?" The heiress spoke to Semiramis, "It sounds like the last of the fighters found each other." She said before she heard a crashing sound again, "This is our chance to take them all out."

"I agree," Semiramis said as Weiss ran down the halls into a large open rocky arena. However, as the heiress entered, she stopped herself, "Weiss?" Semiramis said as she could feel her student's mind fill with dread. Weiss' heart was racing, her breathing rapid, her body sweating, her eyes trembling as she looked at her greatest fear. Before her stood the massive upper body of a crimson skeleton, the scale of which reached almost to the ceiling, "Oh no." Semiramis said as Weiss remained speechless in terror.

The sound of a guitar roared through the arena, with the notice originating at the center. There stood Nobu, who wielded a large red and black guitar. The bass of the instrument was circular, resembling that of a DJ soundboard. Her eyes were a matching red to her skeleton, her hair glowing a similar color.

"YEAAAAH!" Nobu screamed as she ran her fingers through the string, spreading with her power as a fire radiated off the skeleton's form, "I'm no longer the Grimm Archer, I'm the Grimm King!" She said as looked over to see Mercury in the skeleton's hand. However, the look of joy was changed to irritation as she looked to see Ushiwakamaru jump out of a hole in the upper part of the wall. She landed on the same boney hand that gripped her brother, trying to pry him free, "Well, I can go out two birds with one stone. Or should I say, one bone." Nobu said before her skeleton monster roared. The creature then swung its arm with Mercury and Ushiwakamaru on it towards the ground.

Once both of their bodies collided on the floor, they screamed in pain from the impact. Mercury coughed up blood as he struggled to push himself up. Ushiwakamaru pushed herself up as she walked over to the grey-haired assassin, "Brother…" she said as she tried to pick him up. However, she looked up to see the skeleton monster reel back its arms. Nobu grinned as she let loose on her guitar, causing the crimson skeleton to unleash a barrage of punches. At the last moment before contact, Ushiwakamaru tossed Mercury to the side as far as she could, out of the way of the assault, but left herself wide open. As Mercury landed flew, his eyes widened as he saw Ushiwakamaru body pulverized is the attack. As he landed on the ground behind a large rock, the attack was already over. Before he could even say a word, she was trace ported out of the garden.

 _Rider defeated._

"Well, one down is still good." Nobu said as she looked over the area, "Now, where did she toss that guy?" However, she then noticed the heiress standing where she was, still paralyzed in fear, "Oh, if it isn't the ice queen." Nobu said with a grin, "I was hoping to save you for last."

Back at Chaldea, Shakespeare stood in his room as he wrote in his book. Suddenly, the door to his room melted as Semiramis walked in, "You bastard!" She said to him with a revolt in her voice. As she walked in, behind her was Ruby, who had a look of slight amazement door now evaporating into nothingness, "How dare you exploit Weiss' fear like this."

"I do not know what you are talking about." The playwright responded, "I did not tell my fighter about Ms. Schnee's phobia. Nor did I know Ms. Nobunaga had this power of hers." He then closed his book as he stood up, "I simply choose her to complete my newest story, a tale of fire and ice. An enteral rival culminating on the field of battle in front of the whole world." He said as he held his book in awe, "What do you think?" Semiramis looked at the book in his hands before creating a wine glass filled with a green liquid in her hand. She then splashed the book with the liquid, causing it to boil and melt in Shakespeare's hand. He dropped it in fear of his safety but watching horror as it melted into a mush. He then glared at Semiramis, who scowled at him back.

"So, that's why Weiss was acting weird. She's afraid of bones." Ruby commented as she looked at the monitor, seeing her teammate unable to move, "Come on Weiss, snap out of it." The silver eyed girl said with a look of worry. She then had an idea to, turning to the two teachers, "Wait, can't you use the command seal to have her get over her fear of skeleton's?"

"It doesn't work that way. We can influence their current mood, but not their fears in this way." Shakespeare responded before he showed Ruby his hand, showing the command seal was removed, "I had used by command seal at the start of the round, ordering her to call down as she was running amuck as a berserk at the moment." Shakespeare then turned to Semiramis, "You do know that you can use your command seal to take full control of Weiss' movement."

"Don't patronize me, she would never forgive me for that, that violates our trust in one another," Semiramis responded as she looked at her command seal. The three then looked at the monitor to see Nobu laughing.

Back at the garden, Nobu laughed as she looked at the paralyzed Wiess, "Who knew I could make the ice queen shiver in her boots." She said as Weiss gritted her teeth, "I know you're afraid of skulls and bones, so made sure to learn this summon just for you."

"T-that's a summon?" Weiss finally spoke up, "You can summon!?"

"Of course, a brain-dead Grimm creep can pick on the basics of summoning." Nobu responded, causing Weiss to clench her fists, "I know mine is a little plain, but it better than not being able to summon anything, right?" She said with Weiss now glaring at her, "But, that's enough talking, time to crush you!" Nobu said before playing her guitar, casing the crimson skeleton to roar. It reeled back its right arm and swung downward. Right before contact, Weiss lunged forward, her rapier aimed at Nobu's chest, "What!?" Nobu said as she held her guitar up to block the strike, "You were scared stiff a second ago?" Nobu said as she felt Weiss pushing against the attack.

"I was, and I'm still afraid," Weiss said as she continued to push, "But right now, the only thought that is going through my head," the heiress said before pushing back Nobu, putting the berserk in a stunned state. In that opportunity, Weiss stabbed Nobu in the right shoulder with her rapier, "Is how much you really annoy me!" he said before she pulled out her weapon, causing Nobu to scream in agony. As Weiss got ready for a second attack, she then looked over to see the skeleton swing towards her. She jumped out of the way of the attack, avoiding each consecutive strike.

"Doesn't matter, I'll still crush you." Nobu declared as he tried to stop the bleeding with her other arm. Her crimson skeleton continued to try and attack Weiss, the heiress doing her best to avoid as her breath was tired. Nobu grind as she knew her opponent couldn't dodge forever. Suddenly, the Nobu felt a blast of wind hit her from behind, almost knocking out her guitar from her grasp, "What? Who did that!?" She responded as she looked around for the one responsible. Meanwhile, Mercury gritted his teeth as he hid behind a rock.

"Now Wiess!" Semiramis declared with Weiss stabbing the ground with her rapier. A wave a icicles spikes heard straight for Nobu. But turned back in shock at the approaching attack, causing her to quickly string her guitar. Suddenly, a wave of fire radiated from her from her crimson skeleton monster. The stone turned to molten rock as the grey-haired assassin jumped for his own safety. Upon contact with the ice, a large steam cloud was created from the instant evaporation, "Damn it." Semiramis said as she saw Weiss fall to one knee, "I can lend her my strength, but against that thing, it won't matter."

"I uh," Ruby spoke to Semiramis, "If it's not against the rules, can I make a suggestion?" She said with Semiramis having a look of confusion, but Shakespeare had a small grin.

Back on the battlefield, Wiess pushed herself up as she saw her body glow with a white light, "So, you used the command seal on me." She said with a smile as her wounds healed. Suddenly, she had a look of confusion, "Wait, you want me to try what?" She then listened before sighing, "Of course this was Ruby's plan." The heiress said as she regained her grin, "Just like her to think of something like this."

Nobu then looked to see the steam clearing, seeing Weiss a few meters away. Suddenly, the whole floor glowed with a white glyph as the heiress had a look of concentration, then on the walls and ceiling, "Oh, don't tell me you're trying to summon something to match mine's size." Nobu cockily asked, but Weiss responded composed, "You might have the regained strength to, but we both know you can't make one." She taunted, but Weiss was focused on her task at hand, "You forget why you always fail, you cannot make one without a-" at that moment, Nobu had a look of horror on her face. She then looked up to see her crimson skeleton roar in agony. Its boney body was becoming covered in a never-melting ice. It continued to form as the white glyph grew brighter. Nobu then looked back to Weiss in a panic, "No, you can't do that!" she said with Weiss glaring back at her. Nobu gritted her teeth before played her guitar. The music caused her monster the thrash, but the ice continued to form regardless. Nobu then looked back to Weiss in a rage, but the heiress remained focused. Nobu then dropped her guitar as she up her hands together, creating a ball of fire in her palms. She then threw it towards Weiss, causing an explosion on impact.

Nobu grinned at the direct hit, but as the smoke cleared, her eyes widened in panic. Shielding Weiss form the attack was a massive broadsword, longer than an atlas paladin. Nobu followed the end of the blade up to an ice armored hand. Nobu gasped in panic as her crimson skeleton was transformed into a white armored knight. Through the helmet, the burring red aura of the skeleton was the only thing visible of the old creation, "What was it you where saying?" Weiss said to Nobu as the sword lifted, "I wasn't paying attention." Nobu gritted her teeth before she was about to rush forward. However, she noticed Weiss point with her Myrtenaster. Nobu then turned to see the other arm of the white knight swing towards her. The first covered her whole body, launching Nobu into the of the arena. She coughed blood after the impact, following onto one knee. She then looked to see Weiss walking over to stand next to her summon, "You made the worse possible mistake when fighting me." Weiss said as she pointed at Nobu with Myrtenaster, "You insulted my abilities." She said before her white knight swung it sword down.

Nobu dodged out of the way, quickly tossing fireballs at the white knight. Despite the elemental advantage, the ice remained undamaged. Weiss then moved her Myrtenaster in a slashing motion, causing her to summon to mimic it. Nobu just managed to dodge each swing but found herself unable to counter. She then looked to see the other arms coming towards her, punching her again into the wall harder than before. Nobu fell out of the dent she made with her body but stumbled on the ground. her hair and eye color began to return to normal as breath heavily.

"Yes!" Ruby cheered, "Weiss has this is the bag."

"It's not that easy," Semiramis commented, causing Ruby to look back at the screen. She then noticed Weiss' eyes struggling to stay open as she sweated, "This is her first real summon of this size, it is not easy for her to maintain." She said as Weiss gritted her teeth, continuing to swing her rapier, "Even though she just was resupplied with my energy, she used up nearly all of it in this summon." Semiramis said as Nobu created her rifles in her hands, firing each on at Weiss. However, the white knight blocked them with his other hand. Nobu then jumped to avoid the sword slashes, "Weiss needs to finish this fast, or else her opponent could regain control of that crimson skeleton.

Back at the arena, Nobu dodged as downward sword swing by the white knight, "Damn it, I'm not going to lose like this." Nobu said as she stood back up, glaring at the red light coming from the white knight's helmet. Suddenly, she had an idea, "I got it!" She said as she created multiple rifles. As the red energy shots were fired, Weiss shielded herself with the blade of her white knight. However, the bastes shot right past her, instead of colliding with the guitar near her. Weiss looked in confusion as Nobu destroyed her own weapon. Suddenly, Weiss looked up to see her summon begin to slouch.

"What is happening?" Weiss declared.

"You see, I'm not that experienced with summoning, so I used that guitar to control and maintain that bad boy." Nobu smugly said, "Now with it gone, that skeleton is slowly fading away."

"You idiot!" Weiss said in a panic, "Do you know what you just did!?"

"What?" Nobu responded with a grin, "The knight will vanish as mine did, right?"

"No, it won't!" Weiss responded, causing a look of confusion on Nobu's face, "If a summon doesn't have a base, like a skeleton, it will-" Suddenly, the white knight began to crake. Nobu looked in bewilderment as Mercury peaked behind a rock. Weiss tried to stab the floor with her Myrtenaster to create an ice barrier, but she realized she had nothing left, "Oh no." she said before she heard the crakes get louder. The white knight then glowed brilliantly, its radiance covering the three fighters in the entire arena.

Back at Chaldea in Shakespeare's room. He, Ruby, and Semiramis look to see the monitor turn completely white. Suddenly, they heard a massive explosion, the blast wave passive over their body's as they each almost lost their balance. Shakespeare then changed the monitor to the perspective of the whole garden, causing Semiramis to gasp as a full quarter of the structure had been blown off, "Are you kidding me!?" She screamed in panic, "My Garden is destroyed!"

Suddenly, Nobu teleported behind the three. She fell on the ground unconscious, her body mangled, and clothes tattered. As Ruby examined Nobu, she noticed her hat held closet her chest, "Did she try to protect her hat before herself?"

"It would appear so," Shakespeare responded, "Also, in her only ever learning to make the base of a summon, she never knew they would explode like that. "

Berserker _defeated._

Down the hall, Ruby heard someone else teleport in. She ran over to Semiramis room, discovering her teammate laying on the floor, unable to move and in a near worse condition to Nobu. The heiress slowly opened her eyes to look up at her leader, "Hey… Ruby," She said as a tear started to run down her face, "I'm sorry…I... lost."

"It's okay, I'm so proud of you." Ruby said as she hugged her teammate, "You're knight looked so cool." She said with Weiss closing her eyes, but teas still ran down her face.

 _Saber defeated._

"But if you didn't win," Ruby said as she looked at the monitor screen, "Who won?" She then looked to see the image focus as the smoke was clearing. In the massive hole that was in the Garden of Babylon, Mercury dangled upside-down from the edge over the open sky. His body was fully encompassed in scars, his blood dripping over the land. His last metallic leg was bashed and dented but remained attached to a metal pipe, making it the only thing keeping him attached to the Garden.

"What luck Mercury," Caren said as she smiled, "You just won round two," She said with him groaned in agony, "I must say, it is incredible that you remained conscious after such an explosion." She said as she began to blush, "And the degree to you which you are damaged, but still alive, is amazing." She then closed her eyes and smiled, "I thank you for being my first, and after I get my wish granted, last interesting patient."

Mercury slowly started closed his eyes from the pain, "...Sis…" He said before passing out.

 _Round Two Winner: Assassin_

 **AN: There you go, round two ends with the underdog as the winner. The one time one of his legs doesn't break leads to him staying in the arena long enough to be the last one standing, (or rather dangling). Weiss put up a good fight and got close, but she put more into her summon than she could spare for a shield. For me, her using Nobu's Crimson Skeleton as the base she could not make was one of my favorite moments for this whole Grand Order so far. Nobu was close also, if she had studied to know what happens if a summon doesn't have a base, this could have gone differently. Ushiwakamaru finally spoke up to Mercury about who she is to him, sparking him to remember his own true past. The next chapter will be an intermission like before, this one showing how fighters who are this damaged recover quickly and showing an enemy emerging from the shadows.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	64. Chapter 61 - Deadly Force

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This chapter has a pretty emotional start but gets dire in the second half. I use a bit of creative liberty with a certain character here, of which I will explain in the second AN.** **Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 61 – Deadly Force**

Pyrrha

Pyrrha's eyes twitched before they slowly opened, "Wha?" She said as she found herself in the infirmary. However, as she looked at her body, her armor was still damaged, but her wounds were completely healed.

"Hey, you're up." Pyrrha turned to see Nora sitting next to an already awake Weiss, "That was fast, right?"

"They healed us this quickly?" Pyrrha asked Weiss, who nodded.

"Your injuries were vast," Pyrrha looked to see who was now talking, seeing to was Nightingale, "But that is why I was brought in ease your pain."

"Ms. Nightingale here is one of the advisors to the headmaster, but she was once the head nurse of the academy." Weiss clarified for Pyrrha, "She was even called Angel of Crimea."

"That is true, but from my conversation with Caren, I will be returning to former position." The Angel of Crimea said before smiling, "But it does not bother me."

"Well, thank you," Pyrrha responded.

"Do not thank me, I was simply doing my job." Nightingale said as she began to walk out of the room, "I wish to save the lives of those in pain. Even if I have to take it away myself." She said as she exited the room, leading to all three of them having a look of confusion at her last sentence.

Weiss then looked up at the television, see an image of the Garden of Babylon's walls reforming. As the shots zoomed in, it revealed Semiramis, Medea, and Glynda inside the arena, "It looks like our teacher is helping them repair the damage we caused." Weiss said as she saw Glynda holding her riding crop, moving the rubble out of the way, "We were so close to winning."

"Oh," Pyrrha said as she turned to Weiss, "You didn't win?"

"No," The heiress responded, "Mercury was the last one in the arena, I was about as beat up as you were." She then smiled as she turned to Pyrrha, "But, I finally was able to summon. And you finally beat Gilgamesh."

"I told her how you got Gilgamesh to fall out," Nora added on, "It was really clever."

"I didn't beat him," Pyrrha responded, "I fell out before he did, so he won in our face off." The two had a look of worry for a second, but then noticed a smile on the red-haired warriors face as she looked at the ceiling, "But I know I can beat him, I just need to train harder than before to get to his level, then surpass it."

"Are you thinking of coming back here next year," Weiss said with a chuckle, "Because I was thinking the same things. After all, I still want people to stop calling me an ice queen." She said with all three having a laugh.

"Hey, I just realized something." Pyrrha said after her giggle, "Where are the others?"

"Jaune and Yang are preparing for the next round, and Ruby said she needs to talk with someone." Nora responded, "The other badly injured fighters were sent to different rooms." She then leaned back in her chair, "So, let's just sit back, relax, and wait for them to finish fixing that garden so round three can start." She said with the others smiling as they took her advice, laying back in their beds.

 _Atalanta._

A few rooms over, Mercury laid unconscious in his bed. His wounds bandaged, but the rest of his fake legs removed. Sitting to his right was Jack, who smiled as she was drawing with colored pencils. On the other side of the room, Caren sighed as she turned to Ruby, Ushiwakamaru, Atalanta, and Achilles, "Well, I fixed him as best I could." She said with a small smile forming, "He was really banged up." Her comment causing all four students to look at her in slight confusion at her mood, "Anyway, he will be out of it for a little while. If he wakes up, tell him it would be for the best that he did not walk around for a few days." She said before making her way out the room. However, she stopped herself at the door, "Oh, also tell him I said, 'Thanks for winning Grand Order for me.'" She said before walking out of the room.

After Caren left, Achilles and Atalanta turned their attention to Ushiwakamaru, who was already healed from Nightingale, the three glared at each other for a short while until Ruby broke the silence, "…Okay, this is a bit awkward." Ruby said, thinking that statement didn't help matters. She then turned to Ushiwakamaru, "This should be a happy moment, you finally told Mercury that you're his sister."

"Yes, she did," Achilles pointed out as he had his arms crossed, "But, she did so in the middle of a broadcasted battle for all of our kingdoms to see." He said with Ushiwakamaru glaring at him "That type of stuff works in sitcom dramas, not Grand Order."

"Don't try to pretend you know what I'm going through!" Ushiwakamaru angerly retorted, "I didn't care if the whole world was watching! It was tearing me apart that I didn't have the courage before to tell him." She then glanced back at Mercury lying in bed, a mournful look in her eyes, "But, my pain doesn't compare to what he's been through with our father."

Atalanta turned to the grey-haired assassin, "Mercury mentioned his father a few times while we were looking after Jack and Rhyme. Just the way he spoke about him, it's apparent to me how he lost his legs." She said with the room going quiet for a few seconds, causing Atalanta to sight before turning back to Ushiwakamaru, a small smile on her face, "Despite his attitude sometimes, Mercury is the good person. When he wakes up, you can properly tell him what he needs to know." She asked with Ushiwakamaru eventually nodding, "Good." The lioness faunus said with a smile before turning to Achilles, "We're going to get going now since you have your round coming up."

"Right." Achilles said with a smile before he and Atalanta walked out of the room, Ruby waving goodbye. The silver eyed girl then walked over to Jack, looking at her drawing. While it was slightly hard to tell, Ruby could make out the Jack was drawing people. In the center was Jack herself, to her right was Rhyme, and next to her was Atalanta. On the far right, Ruby saw wake looked like herself in her pink rose outfit at a tea table. In the upper right corner, the image of a woman in a green dress with angle wings smiled down at the group. Jack was in the middle of drawing Mercury next to her, coloring his legs with a normal pencil. Jack drew all the faces smiling, matching the one on her face. As Ruby looked at the near bottom of the paper, she saw that the little girl had written, 'My Family,' causes Ruby to smile as eyes started to well up with tears.

As Achilles and Atalanta walked down the halls, the young hero had his arms behinds his head, glancing over to the lioness faunus, "So, he's a good guy." He said with a smirk and his eyes half shut.

"What are you implying?" Atalanta said as she glared back at him, causing the young hero to laugh.

"Nothing Sis," Achilles said as he chuckled, causing her to look away from him, "But you know, things with Blake and I are getting a lot more serious lately, she is a cooler girl than I first thought." He said with Atalanta turning back to him, "You and Mercury do a pretty good job looking after those kids." Achilles spoke with a small smile as he looked forward, causing Atalanta to realize what he was implying about himself. He then turned back to her, a cheerful smile on his face, "I just want to make sure someone is looking after you." He said with her slowly smiling. The two looked forward as they walked down the hall. As they came to a fork in the hallway, Achilles walked towards the Grand Order assigned rooms, while Atalanta walked the other way.

 _Kirei_

Serenity's eyes slowly opened as she started to walk up. Remembered falling asleep in the back of the vehicle on their way to Chaldea. As Bazett was at the wheel, Kirei looked back to see the female humanoid Grimm, "I see that you are awake now." He said with a smile, "We should be arriving within the hour."

"Thank you," Serenity said as she rubbed her eyes, "I apologized, it has been some time since I was able to rest."

"We understand," Bazett responded, "But since you are up, I have a few questions." She said as she looked at Serenity through the rearview mirror, seeing the female humanoid Grimm nod, "Do you know how you were born?"

"I…" Serenity said, wondering what the answer was herself, "…It's vague, but I remember waking up for the first time about seven years ago in the same town you found me in." She said with Kirei listening as well, "Moreover, I looked the same as I do today, but my skin was near pitch black before eventually becoming the color it is now. It was a few years later I could speak. And while it was hard to recall why I remembered it, I knew my name was Serenity."

"You do not age the same way humans do?" Kirei inferred with Serenity nodding, "Did you find the other humanoid Grimm shortly after?" He said with her nodding again, "I see…"

"What are you thinking?" Bazett asked.

"Well, the number of reported humanoid Grimm," he said as he looked to the road ahead, "What are the odds of that number matching the population of the town that was destroyed in the explosion seven years ago." He said with the two girls going silent at the realization, "It is possible the true intention of that explosion was to turn the population into humanoid Grimm in a type of rebirth." He then glanced back at Serenity, "This would be rather hard to confirm, as records of that town's citizens were destroyed with the town."

"If that were true," Serenity said as she looked at her hands, which were slightly shaking, "Why was I made like this?" She said with Bazett and Kirei remaining silent, not knowing how to respond.

As Bazett focused on the road, her eyes squinted as she saw something. Kirei looked as well, noticing a man stumbling down the middle of the road. He was cloaked in a tattered black cloth, but his right arm was exposed. In his hand was a flask he moved to where is mouth would be, "How can somebody be drunk at this hour?" Bazett spoke with irritation before hooking the horn, but the man continued to wobble straight towards them as he put the flask away.

"…Run him over." Kirei said in a stern voice, causing both girls to turn to him in shock. Bazett was about to question his request, but Kirei turned to her with a serious expression. She then realized her location, not near any town for miles, but someone was walking towards them who seemingly came out of nowhere.

Serenity then noticed the cloak he was wearing was an identical match to the fabric she had, but knew it was a human that was approaching them and realized the only way he could have gotten such a cloak, "It's one of them!" Serenity spoke in fear, "One of the two who killed the other!"

Suddenly, the stumbling man straightened his posture before sprinting towards the car. Bazett stepped on the gas as she barred towards the man, but both were unwavering in this game of chicken. As the two were approaching collision, Kirei gritted his teeth, "Everyone out of the car!" he declared as he unfastened his seatbelt and jumped out. Serenity did the same, exiting through his side of the vehicle. As Bazett was in the middle of opening the door, an odd, hook-shaped, red and black blade collided with her door, pushing it back in. As she gasped in shock, she realized the man and the car were about to collide. At the moment of impact, he raised his arm in a fist, then swung it down like a hammer into the engine. The force created a shockwave that created the ground beneath the car, flipping and launching the car over the man. As it flew behind him, the man spun around, delivering a spin kick the roof of the car. The vehicle spun across the terrain, the metal frame denting in each roll. Kirei and Serenity had recovered from there ejection from the car but looked to see Bazett still inside. The car crashed to a halt upside-down, blood leaking from Bazett's head as her eyes stubbled to stay open. Kirei began to run towards the car, but he then noticed a hook-shaped blade heading for the car. As it spun through the air, it radiated as a blue-flame aura. The blade collided with the gas tank of the vehicle instantly causing it to erupt with the expulsion of the rest of the car. Serenity looked at the fire in horror as Kirei gritted his teeth.

"That is one dead," Kirei and Serenity turned to see it was the black cloaked man talking, "One more to go." He said as he looked at the Head of the Church, "You saw through my act, impressive." He said before grabbing his cloak, "I guess I will not be needing this anymore." The man said before throwing his cloak off into the wind. It revealed the man to be wearing a red vest and black pants. His eyes were a cold blue and his hair was a near white silver. The man's face was focused as he assumed a fighting stance.

"You!" Kirei said as he knew who the man was, "You're Marcus Black."

"I am," Marcus responded, "So, my reputation has maintained in this kingdom even after my initial departure."

"You misunderstand," Kirei said with a small smirk, "You were said to be dead."

"And who told you that?" Marcus responded with a glare, "Was it my son?" he said, but Kirei refused to respond, "Typical of him to assume he had completed a job before making sure the target was confirmed dead." He said with a small grin, "I know he is in this land now, and I will pay him a visit after my I finish a quick job. And while I'm here, I can see if my daughter amounted to anything at that school."

"You won't be getting near Chaldea," Kirei responded as he pulled out six black keys, three in each hand, "You will die here and now."

"Oh, you must be a member of the Church," Marcus inferred, "This could be interesting." Suddenly, heard something behind him, he looked to see Serenity attempting to stab him in the face with a kunai. However, Marcus grabbed her wrist forcing her to drop the weapon onto the ground.

Kirei smiled as he knew the poison should be taking effect, but that smiled faded as he saw the look of panic on Serenity's face, "What!?" She said in horror, "You're unaffected by my poison!?"

"Of course, it is why I was chosen to find you." Marcus responded, "My semblance is Immunity to all forms of toxins." He said as his body radiated a purple aura, "In fact, the normally negative effects the chemicals have on people," He then thrust his arm grasping her downward, breaking her wrist, causing her to scream, "Only make me stronger."

Kirei quickly threw three of his black keys in his left hand at Marcus' head. However, the hook-shaped blade flew across the plans, interesting the black keys before they could reach their target, "Damn it." the Head of the Church said as he scanned the arena, noticing a few mounds of soil in the plans, "The second killer is staying hidden to support Marcus." He thought to himself as the immune assassin punched Serenity in the gut, knocking her out cold, "What do you want with her?"

"My job is not to question, but to retrieve and kill." Marcus said as he dropped Serenity, "My employer wanted the humanoid Grimm with the ability to kill with a poison touch brought back alive and eliminate the rest of the kind in the process." He then resumed his fighting stance as he looked at Kirei, "I was also tasked with killing anyone who got in the way of my mission." Marcus then lunged forward at Kirei, who's black keys sparked with red lighting. The blades expanded and formed a flat shield in his hand. However, as Marcus reeled back his left arm, the head of the church noticed a smirk on his opponent's face. Kirei tried to jump back, but it was too late. Marcus' punch cut through the wind as it collided with the black keys, shattering the shield as the fist was aimed at Kirei's heart. Luckily, in his evasion, the strike only collided with the Head of the Church's right forearm. At the moment of impact, Kirei eyes shook as he gritted his teeth, hearing his bones snapping and crunching at the weight of Marcus' fist. He continued to jump back until he was a few meters away from his opponent, falling to one knee as he held his right arm in pain. As he looked down at his arm, he discovered he couldn't move his right fingers anymore, "Oh, you avoided my sure-kill attack." Marcus said as Kirei stood up.

"A self-taught technique that focuses on raw power used in a near instant." Kirei answered, "The user attempts to by-pass all defense of the human body. Destroying organs, muscle tissue, and bones to the degree of permanent damage."

"I had developed this style to deal with the those who think a little aura protection makes them invincible." Marcus said as he looked at Kirei limp right arm next them to broke pieces of the black keys, "Guns and swords are just toys to me, they are not the true weapons of an assassin." He said as he cracked his knuckles, "The only weapon that truly matters is your own body. I learned that if I can render my opponent's body useless." He said before lunging forward, "They are already one foot in the grave." He then unleashed a barrage of punches that Kirei tried to dodge.

Suddenly, Marcus tried to unleash a spin kick, but Kirei evaded it. The Head of the Church then saw an opportunity and created another black key in his right hand. However, Marcus grinned as he already saw a hook-shaped blade heading for Kirei. Suddenly, Kirei turned to the projectile and intercepted it with his black key. Marcus expression changed to slight shock as he Kirei quickly turned back to him with a cold stare. The head of the church then unleashed a deadly left punch into Marcus' gut. The immune assassin remained motionless for a second until his body was touched back in the aftershock of the hit. Marcus' body skidded on the road before eventually coming to a stop.

Kirei breathing was heavy as he looked to see his opponent not moving. Suddenly, he coughed up blood as he felt a sharp pain in his left side, "You listened for the sound of my weapons gliding through the air to know where they came from," a voice spoke to Kirei, causing him to discover the person behind him. It was a young man with dark skin covered in black markings. The red of his eyes matched the bandana on his hand and garb around his waist. In his right hand was the same kind of oddly shaped hook blade that had been thrown around, now was embedded in Kirei right side, "But, that meant you weren't listening for me running up and stabbing you."

"You," Kirei said as he gritted his teeth, looking at the boy's red eyes, "You aren't human."

"Correct, I am another of the humanoid Grimm, and my name is Angra Mainyu." He said as he plunged the blade deeper into Kirei's side, "Rather, I was the first humanoid Grimm." Angra said as he remembered feeling the wrath of Excalibur obliterate his body. After the beam had stopped, he looked to see his body disintegrating like a Grimm. However, as he opened his eyes, he looked up to see a cross-eyed man looking down on him, a sinister smile on his face. In the present, Angra had the same smile as he looked at Kirei, "I was given another life to fulfill a certain mission." He said before violently pulling out the weapon from Kirei's side, "To destroy this kingdom and its people."

"How could you," Kirei said before coughing more blood, "Kill your own kind?"

"Simple," Angra responded, "I only care about my own life now."

Kirei gritted his teeth as he created another black key in his left hand, attempting a horizontal slash. However, Angra jumped back to dodge, holding his blade in a defensive stance. Kirei was ready to continue the attack, but he had realized he took his eyes away from Marcus for one second. In that time, the immune assassin had gotten up and rushed the head of the head of the church. Marcus then delivered a swift kick into Kirei's upper left, sending him across the plans as he screamed in agony. Once Kirei rolled to a stop, dropping his black key, he discovered that he was unable to move his left leg anymore.

Marcus walked Angra with to Kirei, who tried to push himself up, but failed, "They say a man experiences the highest level of pain when his femur bone breaks." Marcus said as he looked down at Kirei.

"I would say I have experienced worse," Angra commented, "But, it is hard to argue with your results."

Marcus then smiled as he looked down at Kirei, "That punch of yours was quite powerful. If you had been in better condition beforehand, it could have actually broken a rib or two." He said with Kirei gritting his teeth. Suddenly, Marcus pulled out his flask, "However, this brew of my alcohol already boosted my defense before our fight even began." He said before taking a swig from his flask. After he was finished, he looked down at Kirei for a few seconds. Suddenly, Marcus lifted his own left leg and stomped on Kirei's chest. The force of the impact created a crater around the Head of the Church's body. Kirei's eyes widened as she coughed up more blood than before. His eyes then went vacant before his head turned it his right side. Marcus then lifted his leg, looking at the body remain unresponsive. He then looked over to the burning car, seeing only a charred piece of cloth was all that remained of the professional huntress, "Let's go." Marcus said in a deadpan voice to Angra before walking over to Serenity's uncurious body. He picked her up, putting away his flask, and began walking down the road.

As they walked down the road, Angra looked at Serenity with a smile, "So, with her unique ability, they can make a black mud capable of creating superior alters that the others before." He said before looking at Marcus, "What do you think about that?"

"I don't really care what my employer plans to do with her, or even what the fate of this kingdom will be when it's all said and done." Marcus responded as he looked to the road ahead, "All I want is to make my son pay for trying to kill me." He then had a sinister smiled as he thought to himself, "This time, I think I'll break his neck."

 **AN: There you go, Marcus Black makes his debut. To explain his semblance, he is immune to all forms of poison, with different poisons giving him buffs to his abilities. It goes back to why he is an alcoholic who made his own brew, to make different drinks to make him a deadlier assassin. He doesn't have a weapon, rather fighting with a brutal style that eliminates the idea of aura acting as a shield. It's meant to be a terrifying power, showing that he can kill with one hit, or render someone disabled for life, (case and point with Mercury). And Angra Mainyu is back from seven years ago, now actually named in the story proper. These two caught Kirei, Bazett, and Serenity by surprise. In the end, Marcus and Angra walked away with the prize. The next chapter will be the beginning of Round Three, which will most likely be the same length as Round Two was.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	65. Chapter 62 - Red and Yellow

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter. This is a pretty intense chapter to start off round three. This round has a lot of fights I am excited to write as well as a lot of good character moments spread out. Thank you for all the support you have given this story, it really means a lot to me. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 62 – Red and Yellow**

 _Shielder_

Jaune and Mash walked down the halls of Chaldea. The male shielder in his combat gear, while the female shielder wore her casual outfit with glasses. Mash looked over to see Jaune slightly sweating, "Are you nervous about the fight?"

"Uh, yeah," Jaune responded with a smile but knowing that was not all he was nervous about. He then remembered something that caused him to panic, "Oh no, did I forget to brush my teeth!?" he thought as sweat started to pour down his face more than before, "What do I do, what do I, what I-!?" Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea, "Hey, look at that." He said as he pointed to the wall on their left.

Mash looked, but was confused, as it was just a wall. In the distraction, Jaune reached into his pocket. He pulled a small container of mints, tossing a few into his mouth both putting the container back in his pocket. The male shielder then smiled at the success of his plan, until he accidentally swallowed one of the mint's whole. As he coughed, Mash turned back in worry, "Jaune, is everything okay!?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jaune said before coughing again, "As you said, I'm just a little nervous." Mash had a reassuring smile, causing Jaune to become slightly at ease. The two then reached on the Grand Order rooms, entering it at the same time. As Jaune looked around, he noticed Lancelot had not yet arrived, "You're sure you're okay staying here during the round?"

"Yeah, I don't mind." Mash responded, "I'll make sure my Papa doesn't do anything suspicious to you with the command seal."

"Thanks." He responded with a smile, causing her to do the same in kind.

"So, Jaune." Mash asked, "Have you given any thought to what you would wish for if you win?"

"Well, it's a big 'if' considering who I'm up against." Jaune said checking is armor and sword, "But, I don't really have a wish. I kind of have everything I want right now."

"Oh," Mash said in slight shook, her face turning a bit red, "But, you could wish that the fishing town forgive you for the actions of your alter?"

"Nah, that doesn't feel right to me. I don't like telling people how they should feel about me. At least, not anymore." He said as he looked at his sword, "When I first started out wanting to be a Hunter, I did it so people to call me a Hero. I got kind of anger when people looked at me as if I would never amount to anything myself. It made me feel helpless inside, that maybe they were right." He said with Mash listening. Suddenly, she noticed a small smile on his face forming, "But meeting you, Gawain, and even my alter in a way. It showed me that I don't need the approval of others for me to do great things." He then turned to Mash with a bigger smile, "I can be a hero, so long as I'm always trying my best to help others."

"That good to hear." Mash smiled back as she giggled, "So, you don't have any idea what to wish for?"

"Well," Jaune said before getting lost in thought before having an idea, "I know, what if I wished for this school to reopen the case to find your mom." He said with Mash have a look of slight shock, "I mean, it couldn't hurt in trying to find her, right?"

"Yeah," Mash said with a smile, her face a little redder, "That really nice of you Jaune, and kind of romantic."

"Thanks…wait what?" Jaune responded as he realized the last part of her sentence. His face then turned red as Mash walked towards him.

"J-jaune," Mash said as she looked up at him, blushing "Good luck." Her eyes then slowly closed as she limps slight puckered.

Jaune face turned complete red, completely forgetting everything Yang had told him. Despite that, he put his hands-on Mash's sides as he leaned in for the kiss. His eyes began to close as he started to feel less nervous. However, before his eyes completely closed, he noticed someone in the doorway. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as he realized it was Lancelot, who violently radiated a black aura as he glared into Jaune's soul.

Suddenly, Jaune took a step back as he let go of Mash. He instead grabbed her right hand with both of his hands, frantically shaking it up and down, "Oh, thank you Mash of the good luck handshake. That is a totally normal thing that is done in a situation like this."

"Wha-" Mash said as her glasses were almost about to fall off, "Jaune, I tried-"

"Anyway, I have to get going, the round is about to start." Jaune rapidly said as he let go of Mash, ran over to the teleporter, and vanished. Mash still had a look of confusion as she adjusted her glasses. She then looked behind her to her father in the doorway, who tried it look away from her, causing her to glare at him and pout.

In the repaired garden of Babylon, Jaune found himself in the middle of a hallway. He sighed as he wiped the sweat off his brow, "That was close."

"What was close?" A female voice spoke from behind him. Jaune turned to discover it was Mordred, who wore her armor minus the helmet. The shielder jumped back in panic as the prideful knight smirked.

"What!?" Jaune exclaimed, "How did you find me this quickly."

"You can blame Tomoe for that." Mordred said as she summons her sword in her right hand, "She's the one who taught me about spawn-killing." Jaune gritted his teeth as he created his shield and sword ready to fight. However, his body suddenly stiffened up. "Huh?" Mordred said in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"I…don't know," Jaune said as his body started to become covered in a dark aura. Suddenly, he rushed at Mordred, delivering a heavy downward swing with his sword. Mordred blocked, but was slightly pushed back at his power, "I didn't do that!" Jaune said as his eyes filled with panic, "I mean, I did want to do that like that." Suddenly, Jaune began swinging his sword wildly as Mordred parried each blow. However, she gritted her teeth at the ferocity of the assault.

"What is wrong with this guy!?" Mordred thought to herself with Kairi listening back at the academy, "I thought he was a Shielder, not a Berserker."

"That is odd," Kairi said as he placed his hand on his chin, "I can think of one reason why."

A few rooms down, Mash looked at the screen in shock at Jaune's behavior. Suddenly, she had an idea as to why. The female shielder then glared at Lancelot, who avoided eye contact with her, "You used your command seal to take over Jaune's actions." She said with resentment in her voice.

"…" Lancelot responded.

"Papa, how could you do that!?" Mash shouted before pointing at the screen, "Jaune has been training with us ever since we got back from that fishing town. He changed classes, so he wouldn't be mistaken for his crazed alter anymore." Mash said as Jaune on screen shoulder tackled Mordred, but a look of panic on his face, "But you're having him act like a beast, why!?"

"AHH!" Lancelot shouted, causing silence to fall over the area "…Ah…" he then added on.

"…You this is the only way you can win," Mash translated, "Because you want your wish to be that the school reopens the case to find mom." She said with Lancelot looking down in remorse. He then looked to his daughter upon feeling her hand on his back, "Papa, Jaune wants the same wish." She said with a smile.

"Ah?" Lancelot responded.

"Yeah," Mash said with a nod, "He told me himself, he's a really selfless guy." She said before hugging her father, "When I heard you picked him for Grand Order, it made me so happy that you were working together." She said with Lancelot hugging her back.

Back at the arena, Jaune stood in mid-swing as Mordred had a look of confusion, "Uhhh…" Jaune said as his face turned red, "Why can't I move?"

"When a command seal is used by a professor to take control of the student." Kairi gave the answer to Mordred, "If the professor is distracted, the student will be unable to move."

"Oh yeah, Tomoe told me something like that one time." Mordred said as she de-spawn her sword, "She said its why she never leaves her controller out of her sight." The prideful knight then cracked her knuckles as walked towards now, "Now, I guess I'll just beat the ever-living crap out of you." She said with Jaune sweating profusely, causing Mordred to speak back with Kairi, "I kind of feel bad for Mash, she is the one who asked me for advice kissing this fool."

"Really, what did you say," Kairi asked, causing Mordred to stop walking towards Jaune. The male shielder then hand a look of confusion as Mordred looked at the ground, her face slightly red, "…you didn't have any advice." The necromancer said with a slight grin, "Because you have never been kissed, have you?"

"SHUT UP!" Mordred shouted aloud, her face a little redder.

"I didn't say anything?" Jaune said, causing Mordred to focus back on him, "…Oh no." he said with dread in his voice.

Back at the academy, Mash continued to hug her Papa. However, she then heard agony cries from the monitor. The two then turned to see Mordred punching Jaune in the face repeatability before kneeing him in the gut, "Jaune!" Mash said before Mordred was about to deliver the final punch. However, at the moment of impact, Jaune's body glowed with a bright white light the filled the area. Mordred flew back a few meters as she shielded her eyes. As she reopened them, the prideful knight discovered Jaune's wounds all healed.

"It appears he does have a healing Noble Phantasm." Kairi confirmed for Mordred, causing her to grit her teeth in anger, "Not to mention the Robust Health skill."

"Wha?" Jaune said as he looked at his hands, then discovering he could move his hands, "I can move now."

Back at Chaldea, Mash and Lancelot looked at the screen, "You cannot undo the Command Seal until Jaune gets back." Mash said to her father in a stern voice, "So, use it back him up in combat."

"Ah," Lancelot said with a nod.

Back in the Hanging Garden, Jaune assumed a fighting stance with his shield and sword, "Okay, I don't know what that was about, but I think I'm good now." He said as he looked at Mordred, "Now, I'm ready to fight."

"Okay then," Mordred said as she recreated her Clarent, "Come at me." She responded with Jaune running at her. As Mordred attempted a vertical downward swing, Jaune blocked it with his shield. He then attempted a horizontal slash from the left, but Mordred jumped back to dodge. She then jumped back into combat, her sword radiating red electricity as she made an upward vertical slash.

The attack only hit the back of Jaune shield, but the red electricity transferred to all over the shielder's body. He screamed in as he felt paralyzed in pain, prompting Mordred to attempt a heavy forward thrust kick. However, Jaune felt this shield arm move on its own, but it between him and Mordred's attack. The prideful knight suddenly felt slightly off balance. Jaune noticed and retook control of his body, the paralyzes fading fast. He then attempted his own downward vertical slash on his opponent. However, Mordred blocked the blade with her armored right gauntlet. She pushed off the blade and the shield at the same time, causing Jaune to fall back as she regained her footing, "Wow, she fights almost like one of the knights." Jaune said to himself as he caught his breath, "It's a good thing I practiced with Lancelot then."

"Damn it, will take too long." Mordred said to herself as Jaune rushed her again unleashing a fury of sword slashes, "I have him beat on skill, but I can't get a good hit when Lancelot is covering for this guy's opening." She said as she clashed sword with him, pushing him back for a second, "At this point, he is just weighing me down until I'm too tired to defend properly. I have to get a good hit in." She said as she now rushed Jaune with a slew of slashes. However, Jaune moved faster than before dodging and parrying Mordred's swings each time.

"Even then, he could heal back up to full before you could get the next hit." Kairi spoke to Mordred, "You have to end this fast, use your Noble Phantasm. Even if it doesn't do that much damage, you could potentially blast him out of the garden."

"That's not going to happen," Mordred responded while still in battle, "I have trained with Mash before, and considering this guy it the same class, I think he has a way of standing his ground against my Noble Phantasm."

"Well, our only option then is that we knock him out with one hit before can react and heal himself." The necromancer inferred, "But, how are we going to inflict that much pain to this guy." Suddenly, Mordred had an idea spawning from the last word Kairi said, "…Mordred, I know what you just thought." He said in a slightly angered voice, "As a man, I don't condone doing that to another man."

Mordred then swung her sword into Jaune's shield, launching him back a few meters, "What, it will heal eventually." She said aloud with a smile, "Besides, Mash will forgive me later."

"What are you talking about?" Jaune asked as he took a defensive stance.

"Now, I just need to break their focus," She muttered to herself as Kairi sighed, looking away from the monitor, and lighting a cigarette, "Hey Shieldy!" Mordred said to Jaune, taken back at the new nickname, "Do you know what happened to Astolfo?" Jaune had a look of confusion at the statement. Then, his face filled with terror at what she was implying. Back at Chaldea, Mash had a look of confusion as to why her father seemed paralyzed in fear as well.

At that moment, Mordred chucked her Clarent at the male shielder. The sword knocked his shield out of this hand. Jaune turned to see his shield land so far away, but as he turned back to face his opponent, he discovered Mordred already in the middle of tackling him. Jaune dropped his sword as he was forced to the ground, causing him to close his eyes for a second. As he opened then, they soon widened in horror as Mordred reeled back her right arm, tightening her fist, and glaring at his pelvis, "Oh please no…." he asked, but Mordred had already commenced the downward swing.

Back at Chaldea, Mash looked in confusion at the monitor suddenly went black with the text, 'technically difficulties' in white in the middle of the screen. She then heard the echoing whales of someone screaming a guttural howl of pain and agony. Suddenly, she looked to see her father fall to one knee, "Papa, what's wrong!" Mash said before she remembered. When a professor takes control of the student, any pain the student endures is also shared by the professor. A few seconds later, Jaune teleported back into the room, landing on his back, "Jaune!" she said in worry as she knelt over to him, seeing him just start to regaining consciousness, "Jaune, what happened!?"

 _Shielder defeated_

"You don't want to know," Jaune responded, his voice much higher pitch than before, "…It hurts…it hurts so much." He said with tears flowing down his face, "I'm sorry, I couldn't win."

"It's okay Jaune," Mash said with a smile as she helped him to a sitting position against the wall, "You did your best." Her comment caused him to smile despite the pain he had to endure. Mash then put her left hand on Jaune right shoulder, her right hand adjusting his face to look at her. Jaune had a look of confusion until Mash leaned in, her lips touching his. His eyes widened in astonishment, forgetting all his pain from his fight with Mordred. The two shielders slowly closed their eyes at the same time, each not wanting this moment to end.

Back at the arena, Mordred picked up her Clarent, "Well, that's one down." Mordred said to Kairi. However, she had a mournful expression on her face, "But, I probably should have kept that fight going."

"You really don't want to fight your friends in this round," Kairi responded to her, "Mordred, I know why you are doing this. Even without us being linked with this command seal, I can read you like a book." He said with her going quiet, "We can stay on the outskirts, for now, letting the others fight and eliminate each other."

"But I need to show everyone that I am a powerful knight, I can't do that if I am hiding from battles in Grand Order," Mordred pleaded before looking at the ground. "It won't count as a victory. At least, not to my father."

"Mordred…" Kairi said as he put out his cigarette, "Okay, let's continue looking for the other fighters." He said with her nodding.

 _Berserker_

On the other side of the Hanging Garden, Yang walked down the halls, "So, you're okay with that plan?" Yang said to Martha, who was back at Chaldea.

"You want to take out Archer, Caster, and Assassin first?" Martha reiterated, "It's a decent strategy, but why them specifically?"

"No reason, I just think it would be fun." Yang said out loud before continuing the conversation in her head, "I'm just saying that for the cameras, I want to fight then so Mor doesn't have to." She said with Martha listening intently, "The fewer friends she has to fight, the better. She already has enough competitions with Rider, Lancer, and Shielder."

"The Shielder already got knocked out," Martha confirmed.

"Yikes Jaune, that was fast." Yang thought in shock, "Well…So long as she runs into Ruby's friend or Blake's boyfriend, Mor is strong enough to beat those two. They can keep her busy while I take out the others."

"And what is your plan when you and Mordred are the last two fighters?" Martha responded.

"Well…I haven't planed exactly what I should do then." Yang thought as she crossed her arms, "I can't go easy on her, she'll know right away. But and I hope you're not mad at me, I want Mor to win this, not me."

"It's okay Yang, I know this is more important for you." Martha responded with a smile, "I can wait till next year to get my wrestling class put into the curriculum."

"That was going to be your wish," Yang said out loud with a giggle, causing Martha to pout. Suddenly, the blond berserker saw something on fire coming straight at her. She quickly created her Ember Celica, punching the projectile to the ground before it could hit her. As the fire faded, Yang discovered it was an arrow shot at her, making her grin, "Well, found one of them." She said before running forward. As she ran, more flaming arrows were fired at her, but the blond berserker deflected and dodged as she made her way down the hall.

Eventually, Yang exited into a large arena. The arena was full of burning stones and pillars of cooled magma. In front of her, she discovered Tomoe, who wore a more armored garb and had her hair down. She held a red bow with a fire arrow already drawn, aimed at Yang, "Sup Yang." Tomoe said with a smirk before taking the shot.

Before the arrow was about to hit her, Yang caught it with her right hand, seemingly unaffected by the fire damage, "Hey Tomoe," Yang responded before snapping the arrow in half, "Like the new outfit." She said with Tomoe nodding, "Kind of looks like that character you play as, what did you call her?"

"The Inferno Archer, that will be the title I will get when I win the round," Tomoe said as she despawned her large bow. In her right hand formed a naginata with a red blade. In her left hand was a sheathed katana at her side, "And right now, you're just the first boss fight." The gamer girl then rushed Yang, trusting her naginata at her opponent. Yang took a defensive stance, deflating the blade of Tomoe's weapon with her left gauntlet. Yang reeled back her right arm seeing an opening to stick. However, Tomoe spun 360 degrees while she swung her naginata towards the right side of Yang's head. At the last second, Yang readjusted the position her right arm near her head, blocking the attack.

The blond berserker grinned at avoiding serious damage, but then noticed a few locks of her hair fall to the ground from the naginata's blade. Yang's eyes turned red as she focused on Tomoe. She then pushed away from the naginata and began her assault of punches, pushing back her opponent. The gaming girl blocked each hit with her the pole of the naginata, However, she gasped as Yang grabbed the naginata with her hands, pulling towards her so she could headbutt Tomoe.

Tomoe flinched in pain from the attack, letting go of her naginata. Yang tossed the weapon aside before punching Tomoe in the gut, sending the gamer girl back a few meters. Once she recovered, Tomoe drew her katana, revealing the blade to be of similar red metal. Yang rushed Tomoe, as the gamer girl remained in a reposed stance. As Yang reeled back her right arm, her Ember Celica glowed yellow with heat.

Suddenly, the center of Tomoe's red eyes changed from black to orange. As she saw the approaching punch, she parried with a sword slash. Yang stubbled back a few feet as she gritted her teeth. She then looked at her right hand, seeing the rebound of the hit. Her hand and gauntlet were slightly scorched. She looked back to see Tomoe resume her counter stance. Yang gritted her teeth as she rushed again, this time going for a left uppercut. However, Tomoe parried it the same way as the last punch, with the same recoiled for Yang. In her stunned state, Yang barely noticed Tomoe jump, raising her katana over her head. Yang blocked the strike by making at 'X' with her arms. The red steel of the Tomoe's katana collided with the yellow metal of Yang's Ember Celica. However, Yang could feel Tomoe's weapon start to cut through her own gauntlets.

In quick thinking, Yang fired a simulates shot form each of her gauntlets. The recoiled pushed the katana out of Tomoe's hands, launching it into the ceiling above. While Tomoe gasped at the loss of her weapon, she noticed Yang's escape move had pushed her own arms to her sides, leaving her wide open. Tomoe then grabbed the top of Yang's head, delivering a powerful right knee to her opponent's face. As Yang flew back from the impact, Tomoe landed and noticed her naginata close by.

Yang pushed herself up from the attack, wiping the blood from her nose. Her eyes then widened as she saw Tomoe retrieve her naginata. The gaming girl then swung it against the ground, causing a look of confusion on Yang's face. Suddenly, she felt the floor her shaking underneath her. Yang jumped out the way of the ground erupting, a pillar of fire emerging from where she once stood. Once Yang landed, she again felt the ground tremble. The blond berserker ran as the floor erupted again.

While focusing on dodging, Yang lost sight of Tomoe. Suddenly, Tomoe appeared to Yang's right, swing the pole of the naginata in her opponents' stomach. Yang coughed as she placed her arms over her stomach in response to the pain, leading to Tomoe repositioning herself in front of Yang. The gaming girl then thrust her naginata towards Yang's face, how tried to dodge out of the way. She managed to avoid any direct hits, but one blade strike had cut her right check. However, Yang noticed that same attack had also brushed near her hair, taking off a few strands in the process. She glared at her opponent in a rage as she grabbed the naginata again.

However, Tomoe saw this coming. She let go of her naginata, opting to shoulder check Yang. In the blond berserker's stunned state, she lost her grip on the naginata, allowing Tomoe to reclaim it. The gaming girl then spun around 360 degrees again, attempting an overhead swing with her naginata. At the last second, Yang saw the attack coming, holding her right Ember Celica to block. The blade of the naginata collided with the gauntlets embedding itself a few inches deep. Yang winced in pain as she saw blood dripping from her right gauntlet. Tomoe pulled out her naginata and resumed her stabbing assault on Yang, who was breathing was becoming heavy from dodging.

Suddenly, Yang had an idea. As Tomoe made a straight stab, Yang delivered a downward punched then blade out of the way as hard as she could. The blade of the naginata collided with the ground, causing Tomoe to gasp as she knew an explosion was incoming. She jumped back to dodge the blast at the last second. However, her eyes widened as Yang jumped through the pillar of fire, delivering a strong burning left punch into Tomoe's abdomen. Yang then fired a blast from her left Ember Celica, launching Tomoe into a nearby rock formation.

Yang landed back on the ground as she watched the rocks collapses over her opponent. She breathed a sigh of relief for a second. However, Tomoe broke through the rocks. Her body armor damaged and naginata no longer in her hand, but she still glared at Yang. The blond berserker responded with a smile as she hit her knuckles against each other, causing a yellow eruption of fire around her.

Tomoe glowed with a red flame as she rushed Yang, "Fragment of Noble Phantasm, deploy." Tomoe said as she approached Yang. The blond berserk tried a right hook, but Tomoe avoided the hit, positioning herself over Yang. She then grabbed Yang shoulder's as she landed behind her opponent. Before Yang could react or defend, Tomoe tossed her into the air. Yang gritted her teeth as basted dust from her Ember Celica to steady herself. However, she looked to see Tomoe respawn her bow, "I am the flames. The brilliance of the rising sun!" She declared as she strung arrow was set ablaze far more than the others she fired, "Burn! Consume Everything!" Tomoe said before firing the arrow. Yang could only watch in panic as the flaming arrow headed straight for her. As it struck her in the stomach, an orb of fire encapsulated her whole body, "Oṃ Ālolik Svāhā!" Tomoe declared as she looked at the orb of light burning everything around, the luminosity rivaling that of the sun.

However, Tomoe noticed something odd. In the center of the red orb of fire, a yellow blaze grew bright. Tomoe gasped as she saw Yang pull herself out the miniature sun, "Didn't you know Tomoe?" Yang said as her hair glowed a bright yellow, smiling down at her opponent, "I'm hotter than the sun!" Tomoe gritted her teeth as she readied another red burning arrow. At the same time, Yang fully got out of the miniature sun, using it as a launchpad for her lunging attack. She reeled back her right arm as it radiated a yellow flame. The Ember Celica collided with the arrowhead, causing the red and yellow flames to merge into a boiling miniature sun large than the other, covering both their bodies. Both red-eyed girls glared at each other as they unleashed their fiery attacks. After a few seconds, the miniature sun could not support itself, resulting in a massive explosion.

As the flames cooled and the smoke clears, the magma arena had been reduced to rubble from the collapsing walls. A small pile of rocks started to move before Yang pushed herself out. Her hair and eye color returned to normal, her clothes were tattered as her breathing was heavy. She then looked down to see her right arms still steaming and charred, finding it hard move her fingers without hearing a cracking sound. She then noticed a crater a few meters away. As she walked over to it, she discovered Tomoe on her back, her bow destroyed and armor beyond just scorched. She tried to push herself up but quickly fell back to the ground. At that moment she noticed Yang looking down at her, a slight grin on her face. Tomoe made a similar grin, "…GG." She said before closing her eyes and laying back, her body then teleported out of the arena.

 _Archer Defeated._

Yang sighed in relief in the battle being over, "Well, that was a pretty good match." Yang's eyes widened as she turned to see who was talking, discovering it as Achilles, his lance in his right arm, "So, you're the girl Blake told me about, the one who fought Penthesilea to a draw."

"You want to fight me because of that?" Yang responded with a smirk, "Or do you want to ask me for permission to get serious with Blake?"

Suddenly, Martha spoke in Yang's head, "You can't go into a fight right now, you're too injured from the battle with Archer."

"You're right that I want to fight you," Achilles responded, "But, not like this. It would not be very heroic to get into a fight with someone before they have had time to recover." He said with his arms crossed, "So, here is my offer. I'll take you to the part of this garden I want to fight in, and that will give you enough time to recover your strength. Deal?"

"…Okay," Yang said before she smiled, "If you were the lying type, I don't think Blake would have kept you around for this long." Achilles than smiled back, "Lead the way." She said with him turning and around to walk the other direction. As Yang followed, the smile on her face slowly faded, "Damnit, this wasn't part of the plan." She thought to herself as she tightened her left fist, "But, no use in trying to get away." she said before she looked at Achilles, "I need to beat him, defeat Cleo and Nitocris, and then …." Yang was thinking, but still, do not know that part of her plan, "…Mor has to win, no matter what."

 **AN: There you go, two big fights and elimination to kick off round three. The first half of this chapter has some jokes that made me chuckle when writing, and I really got into writing the fight in the second half. Jaune may have lost early on, but he still won something in the end. Tomoe verse Yang was defiantly a fight I wanted to do for a while, really taking a lot of MGR: R as inspiration for some of the sequences. We also see Mordred and Yang's perspective on their role this round, and what can happen if they meet each other.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	66. Chapter 63 - Perseverance

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. We are getting really close to 400 followers to this story. That is insane to me, thank you so much for supporting this story and helping it get so popular. This chapter is intense having a couple of cool fights that pay homage to scene from both series. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 63 – Perseverance**

 _Rider._

"Here we are," Achilles said as he led Yang into a plain arena. The blond berserker examined her surrounding, only noticing the light brown dirt floor and empty stands for spectators, "This arena gives neither of us the advantage. Meaning, all this fight will boil down to is which one of us is the better fighter."

"Is that so," Yang said before she looked at her right arm, seeing it almost completely healed, "Well, I think my aura recovered enough that I can kick your ass now." She said before hitting her fist against one another. She then had a look confusion as Achilles despawned his lance, extending his left fist to Yang.

"My name is Achilles, son of the hero Peleus." He said with Yang smiling. She extended her right arm, her Ember Celica despawning as they fist bump.

"My name is Yang Xiao Long, daughter of the hunter Taiyang."

"Let's have a fair fight!" Both said at the same time as they assumed a fighting stance.

A moment of silences fell between the two as they waited for the other to strike. Suddenly, Achilles stepped forward reeling back his right arm for an upward strike to her abdomen. Yang responded with a left cross to his face. Both hits landed at the same time, the blond berserker's eyes widening from the blow, while the young hero gritted his teeth.

However, it appeared Achilles took less damage from the exchange. He quickly bushed Yang's left arm aside as he went in for a left cross of his own. Yang refocused as she held up her arms to block the hit. The force of the impact pushed Yang back a few feet, the heels of her boots digging into the ground. as she lowered her arms. She noticed Achilles wipe a small amount of blood from his mouth.

"Yang, Achilles divinity skill makes him impervious to attacks by those without the same skill as well." Martha spoke to Yang, "However, I have the divinity skill at the same rank as he does. Thanks to our link for the purposes of a Grand Order, you have the skill by association." She crossed her arms as she looked at the screen, "It's a good thing I switch back to my Rider class before Grand Order started, just in case."

"So that's why I didn't see you at the ceremony last night," Yang responded in her head, "Thanks, Martha. I knew I could count on you." She said before rushing forward, unleashing a right cross. Achilles blocked the same way Yang did but saw the blond berserk unleash a flurry of punches. The young hero remained on the defensive as he parried the attacks. Achilles then attempted to break the barrage, he jumped back as Yang attempted a downward punch. While seeing his opponent valuable, Achilles jumped back for a left dive kick.

However, Yang recovered fast. She caught Achilles left leg and began to spin. After a few rotations, she tossed the young hero away. Achilles tried to recover in mid-air, but his body jutted as if he was caught on something. He looked back at his opponent, his eye widening in sudden realization. Yang had let go of his leg but had grabbed his orange scarf with her right hand. She used it to pull Achilles back toward her while she cocked her right arm. The punch landed directly in the center of his chest, causing him to cough up blood before the getting sent back. As he flew across to the wall of the arena, his scarf ripped in half. Yang let go of the rest of the scarf as she saw Achilles come to a stop on the floor. As he pushed himself up, the young hero had a noticeable smile on his face.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Chiron spoke in Achilles mind.

"Yeah," Achilles responded as he got back on his feet, assuming a fighting stance, "and I'm just warming up."

"Your opponent is a brawler, one whose fighting style seems to favor punches." The horse faunus surmised, "In that case, switch to a more kick focused style to catch her off guard."

"…You saw how my last kick went." Achilles responded before spitting a bot of blood out of his mouth.

"Trust me," Chiron said as he crossed his arms, causing Achilles to sigh. Yang then looked to see the young hero's stance change, his shoulders becoming more relaxed as he lowered his fist. He then smirked as he extended his right hand, moving his figures forwards and backward.

Yang gritted her teeth as she rushed him, reeling back her right arm for a strike. Once she was within range, Achilles unleashed a left kick into Yang's right side. As the blond berserker flinched in pain, Achilles knelt as he swept her legs. As Yang fell on her back, Achille positioned himself upside-down before plunging both knees into his opponent's stomach, causing the blond berserker to cough up a cupful of blood onto the ground. Achilles pushed himself away from Yang, landing back on his feet.

Yang placed her hands on her stomach as she closed her eyes in pain. Slowly, she got up, but Achilles was not going to let her recover this time. He ran up to deliver a left spin kick, but Yang caught it in her right hand. As a look of shock fell over his face, Yang's eyes reopened, showing their red color now. She then tossed Achilles into the wall behind her. As she let go of his leg with her right hand, she grabbed his face with her left, pressing it against the wall. Yang the ran clockwise along the arena wall, grinding Achilles face into it along the way.

After a few seconds, Achilles grabbed Yang's back with his right hand. The young hero then pushed her into the wall, freeing him from her grasp. He then tossed her out of the wall and towards the center of the arena. Yang stumbled for a second but quickly regained her footing. She then turned to see Achilles running at her. He then jumped to perform a dropkick. Yang reeled back her right arm, delivering a burning right punch into the souls of Achilles metal boots.

The force of the collision punched both fighters away from the other, each landing on their backs from the recoil of the attack. A moment of silences fell between them as neither seemed to move. Suddenly, two began to slowly get, their breathing heavy. As they looked across to their opponent, they raised their fist to a similar fighting stance. Suddenly, both fighters rushed each other with a left cross. The fist collided in mid-air as the two fights found themselves back in the center of the arena.

Back at Chaldea, Martha watched as Yang delivered a barrage of punches. She recalled her sparring sections with the blond berserker, seeing the same moves on display now. A few rooms over, Chiron watched as Achilles parried each punch, mimicking his own style from their lessons. Both the professor's smiled at the progress their students have made in the world of combat.

Achilles jumped as he unleashed a downward punch into the top of Yang's head, bring her to one knee. As Achilles was about to deliver another punch, he noticed the blond berserker's hair glow brighter. Yang quickly stood up, the top of her head colliding with the young hero's lower chin, a river of blood running down the middle of her face from the top of her head. Achilles stumbled back a few steps in shock before he noticed Yang reel back her right arm. He held his arms close to his face in a defensive stance as Yang unleashed a powerful right hook. Achilles blocked most of the damage, but he still felt the force from the strike. He tried to counter attack, but Yang had already commenced a left hook, causing him to remain in his blocking position. With each alerting hook, Achilles' arms began to bruise as his face began to leak blood.

Yang noticed her opponent's stance was starting to falter, seeing this as the opportunity. She reeled back her right arm as she slightly bent her knees. Her right fist tightened as she attempted to unleash an uppercut to Achilles' chin.

However, Achilles saw this as his opportunity as well. He stepped back, avoiding the uppercut, and causing Yang to gasp in fear. He reeled back his right arm as far as he could, screaming a battle cry as he unleashed a devastating punch into Yang's stomach. The force of the punch created a shockwave through her back, going so far as to crack even wall of the arena behind her.

Yang coughed up more blood than before, her eyes starting to lose their red color, her hair becoming less luminescent. Achilles steadying his breathing to get a better look at the damage he dealt. However, his eyes widened in astonishment. While Yang's right arm still trembled in her unfinished uppercut stance, her left hand was between her body and Achilles fist. She moved it there at the last second before impact, her fingers busted, and palm shattered, but she avoided the brunt of the damage.

Yang looked to see Achilles still shock from the discovery, seeing this as her last moment. She gritted her teeth, the red returning to her eyes as her hair glowed like a yellow flame. She fought through the pain to push Achilles with her left arm, repositioning her right fist. Achilles looked up to see the punch coming down at him, but he knew he couldn't dodge in time. The fist collided with the left side of his face, forcing him to smash against the ground head first. The shockwave cracked the ground of the arena, the cracks spanning a few meters from the point of impact.

Achilles laid on his back as he coughed up blood. He tried to push himself up, but quickly realized he had already used the last of his strength. He looked up to see Yang standing next to him, both her arms limp to her sides. Her hair brilliance faded as her eye color returned to normal, "I win." She said between her heavy breaths. Suddenly, she had a small smile on her face, "Still, that was fun."

"Yeah," Achilles said as Yang fell back, sitting down next to him with her arms in her lap, "Blake warned me. She said that if I had to fight you, I should avoid pulling any hair off your head. Or else I would have been screwed."

"That's Blake for, looking out for both of us." Yang said with a smirk, "I think she likes you, but she is shy to admit right now."

"You think so," Achilles said with a chuckle, discovering how painful it was to laugh at the moment, "…Thank you. Gilgamesh is pretty lucky too." She said with Yang chuckling as well.

"Achilles," Chiron spoke in his student's mind, "Shall I used the command seal to restore you to full strength. Your opponent seems to still have theirs and will mostly use it in response."

"No Chiron, there is no round two to this fight." Achilles responded, "Just send me back, I'm done here." He then turned to Yang, smiling as he spoke aloud, "I can respect a girl that can kick my ass." Yang gave a smiler smile before the young hero vanished from the arena.

Rider defeated.

"Congratulations Yang," Martha said to her student, "I can use the command seal to heal you now."

"No, I just need to rest for a little bit," Yang responded as used her right hand to wipe the blood off her face. She then coughed with her right hand over her mouth. As she looked at her hand, she noticed more blood, causing her to slightly grit her teeth.

"Yang, if you don't get healed right away, you could be looking at permanent damage," Martha responded as Yang looked at her left hand, discovering she could not even make a fist anymore. She then looked at her stomach, seeing a large purple bruise across her waistline from Achilles repeated strikes.

"It's okay, I can make it. I need that command seal of yours for something else," Yang responded as Martha had a look of confusion, "I think I figured out a how I can get Mordred to win the way she wants to win."

 _Lancer._

Mordred walked down the halls as she waited for another opponent to appear. Suddenly, she heard odd music, followed by vocals, "Like the Sun " the voice was followed by a background singer in a similar pitch, "Always "

"What is that?" Mordred said is irritation, "Is someone singing?"

"I have to Shine " The song continued with the backup singers adding on, "Never Changing "

"This could the work of another fighter," Kairi responded, "We should be careful."

The song continued, "I'm yearning, searching, eternally "

"No, we don't," Mordred responded as she ran towards the noise, "Only one girl is stupid enough to turn Grand Order into a concert." The prideful knight then made her way to the end of the hall, entering an arena with a colorful stage in the center. The stage took up most of the battleground, flashing light in every direction.

In the center of the stage was Elizabeth, her lance upside-down as she sang into the mic, "Tell me it's real " she sang with a smile on her face, moving her body to the beat of the music, "I LOVE? YOU LOVE? MORE " the idol faunus sang, followed by the background vocals repeating the song over again. "Hi!" Elizabeth said as she noticed Mordred now, causing the idol faunus to have a smug look on her face, "Where you charmed by my singing?"

"You call that singing?" Mordred responded as she crossed her arms, "I thought with all those screeches and cries, a Grimm Beowolf had snuck into the Garden."

"Don't mock my singing!" Elizabeth angerly restored before smiling and waving around her, "Especially when I am performing in front of our entire kingdom."

"This is not a concert, it is a battle royal." Mordred said as she spawned her sword Clarent in her hands, "You made a big mistake singing for all to here in the Garden."

"Did I?" Elizabeth said as she looked down at Mordred, her eyes half open as she smirked. The prideful knight had a look of confusion at the implications. Suddenly, a metal slate-covered the opening to the hallway she had come from. As Mordred looked around, more of the exits where being closed off. Mordred then looked back to see Elizabeth twirling her lance over her head. Her hips shuck as she smiled, "If you didn't like that song. Let me play this one," Elizabeth said before she stabbed the floor of her concert, causing the floor to shake. Suddenly, Mordred looked in astonishment as a castle rose from the ground. the structure looked to be made of pink and purple marble, with the fortress adorned with large speakers. At the top of the castle was the idol faunus, "Here it is for of the all the World of Remnant to hear, Báthory Erzsébet!" Elizabeth said before she took a deep breath, "LAAAAA " She sang with the castle adding to her voice, a blast wave of sound, neon lights, and symbols of hearts and flowers all rocketed for Mordred.

"Damn it!" Mordred said as she knew she could not dodge. She quickly spawned her helmet on as she stabbed floor with Clarent. The Noble Phantasm collided with her body, passing over her like a rushing wave on the ocean shore. Her armor began to crack as she felt the vibration shake her very core.

"No, it's not the final yet," Elizabeth thought as she momentarily stopped singing. She then ran down the wall of her castle at high speed. hitting the floor, Elizabeth jumped off the wall, heading straight for Mordred. The idol faunus then began to twirl with her lance aimed at the prideful knight. She spun faster and faster, causing red energy to cover her body. Mordred eyes widened right as the idol faunus second noble phantasm had collided with her body, "Báthory Brave Erzsébet!" Elizabeth declared as she ran into Mordred, the spiral attack carrying the two into the air. Once they reached peak velocity, an explosion occurred in a red flash. Out of the carnage, Elizabeth jumped out, land on her feet both she posed with a wink.

Mordred later crashed back into the center of the arena, chunks of her armor landing beside her. Elizabeth despawned her castle as she looked over to see Mordred struggle to get up.

"I did it!" Elizabeth said as she started to cheer, "I beat the saber class fighter." She said as she jumped with joy, "The strategy worked."

"Indeed," Glynda responded back in Chaldea, adjusting her glasses, "For your abilities, an arena with proper acoustics was necessary to find first."

"My singing would call an enemy in, then I trap them with my territory creation ability," Elizabeth responded with a smile, turning back to the blocked off entrances. She then slightly blushed as she talked to her professor, "I do want to thank you for helping me develop my castle, it really made my voice come out better." She said with Glynda smiling, "Oh, I need to thank Ruby for helping me develop the second part of my attack." She then held her head high as she smiled, "After I win, of course."

"Hey…" Elizabeth heard someone call from behind her as she felt a tap on her right shoulder. As she turned around, she discovered Mordred, standing back up with blood pouring down the top of her head. The prideful knight's armor was destroyed, only a dented right gauntlet remained, even her jacket and shorts were tattered. Before the idol faunus could process the situation, Mordred reeled back her right arm and unleashed a heavy punch into Elizabeth's left cheek.

Elizabeth's whole face contorted as her body flung into the metal barrier that was used to block the hallways. Her body dented the metal, causing her to rest in the concaved scrap as she cried in agony, "What!?" Elizabeth said as she turned back to Mordred, "How are you still able to stand? I hit you with two consecutive, direct noble phantasms."

"You'll have to hit me twenty more noble phantasms like that if you want to put me down for good, I'm the one who will win this Grand Order round." Mordred said before she held her Clarent with both hands, red lighting radiating from the blade, "But, I think it will only take one Noble Phantasm to knock you out." She said with a look of panic filling Elizabeth's eyes.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake again. Mordred and Elizabeth had a look of confusion as the tremors become louder. Erupting from the ground just under the idol faunus. As Mordred shielded her eyes from debris, she looked to noticed what was causing the disturbance, "HELP!" Elizabeth cried, hanging onto her lance, discovering herself inside the mouth of a golden serpent. Her weapon was placed in a way to keep the beast's mouth open, but the creature thrashed as it tried to swallow her.

Mordred eye widened as she recognized the serpent, "Uraeus Astrape," She said as she examined the arena, "Which means-" she said as she noticed the hallway that was once blocked off, the metal had been destroyed when the snake erupted.

"I said help!" Elizabeth reiterated as she started to feel her hands slipping. She looked down in dread at the serpent's mouth, "Glynda, please get me out of here!"

"Are you sure," Glynda asked, "It will mean you will forfeit this round."

"An idol cannot be seen like this," Elizabeth said as she felt her hands slipping, "I cannot have the whole kingdom see me become snake food." Suddenly, her grip loosed as she fell. She closed her eyes and screamed as she mentally prepared for the torments she was about to endure. A few seconds later, she opened after realizing nothing happened, she discovered herself back in Chaldea. She breathed a sigh of relief before a look of sorrow filled her eyes. However, Glynda placed her right hand atop Elizabeth's head, smiling as she looked down at her and patted. Elizabeth slowly smiled back before hugging her professor.

Lancer withdrew.

Back at the Garden arena, Mordred glared down the golden snake, her sword still in her hands, "So, this is where you were." A familiar voice came from the hallway, raveling it to be Cleopatra with her arms crossed, "I didn't expect to find you when I heard that horrible singing voice."

"Cleo…" Mordred said as had a line of sweat come down her face. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she noticed another person walking behind Cleo. It was the caster of this round, who had a similar smile to the snake-haired queen, "Nitocris!" Mordred responded, "What are you two-"

"We formed an alliance for Grand Order," Cleo interrupted, "The two of us knew the odds were against us if we went in alone."

"So, we agreed to help each other until the two of us are the last fighters, then take it from there," Nitocris continued, "Right now, the only ones left besides us are you and Yang." She said with Mordred slightly gasping, knowing that only her friends remained in the round now. As the assassin and caster readied to engage in combat, Mordred gritted her teeth, her hands on Clarent starting to tremble.

 **AN: There you go, finally had Achilles verses Yang. She was able to deal divine damage to him because of her connection to Martha. Martha returned to a Rider classed to gain back her divinity skill, and Yang gained it through Grand Order, even though she hasn't used the command seal yet. It was a cool fight to write, just two character beating the life out of one another, with a conclusion that leaves a bit open for interpterion. Mordred takes her fair share of damage against Elizabeth, who shows what she learned from Glynda and Ruby. While she goes out fast, I like to think she made an impression on the world of Remnant with that song. Now, Mordred is forced to fight her friends, as they are the only ones left in the arena. The next chapter is the conclusion to round three, and it is an emotional roller-coaster.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	67. Chapter 64 - Winning

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is the end of the third round of Grand Order. It is the most dramatic ending of the rounds so far. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 64 – Winning**

 _Saber_

Mordred tried to focus on the two fighters staring her down, but she noticed the giant golden snake flank around her. While it did not attack, it flurried its fangs at the prideful knight. "Mordred!" Kairi spoke in her mind, causing Mordred to refocus on her opponents.

In the confusion, Cleo rushed Mordred, causing the prideful knight to switch into a defensive stance. The snake-haired queen dive kicked into Mordred's Clarent. Before she could recover, Mordred noticed Nitocris spawn a metal staff in her hands. As the canine faunus smiled, a small black bird in a dark blue aura appeared over her head. Next to it were three golden scarabs, each radiating fiery yellow energy, "Horakhty!" Nitocris declared as she pointed at Mordred with her steel staff.

The creatures rocketed towards Mordred, passing right by Cleo. The prideful knight slashed at the creatures, cutting each of the scarabs in half. However, the blackbird collided with the handle of Clarent, knocking it out of Mordred's hands and falling a few meters away, "Got you." Cleo said as she pointed to her Uraeus Astrape. The golden serpent rushed for the prideful knight. Mordred turned in shock to see the serpent's mouth. As it tried to devour her, Mordred pushed against the roof of the snakes with her right arm, her legs pressed against the lower jaws, "Without your sword, you can't damage my Uraeus Astrape."

"Mordred seems to be tired," Nitocris commented as she walked over to Cleo, "She doesn't seem like she can hang on for much longer."

"Mordred what are you doing?" Kairi yelled, "You don't make mistakes like this, you don't drop your sword in the middle of combat or fall for a simple distraction."

"Shut up!" Mordred responded as she slow had one of the fangs approach her exposed left arm.

"She's strong," Cleo said as she noticed Mordred keeping Uraeus Astrape's mouth open, "But if she is stabbed by one of the fangs, she will lose in an instant. You see, after that little incident with that heart grenade, my Uraeus Astrape's venom is now deadlier than ever."

"They are your friends, I get why this is hard for you." The necromancer spoke in a calmer voice now, "But right now, for the purposes of Grand Order, they are your enemies. It is a battlefield; all sides have something they are fighting for." Kairi said as Mordred noticed the fang inches from her left arm, "But right now, all that matter is who wants it more." He said as Mordred looked to see the fang about to infect here, "Mordred!"

At that moment, Mordred screamed in a rage. Before the fang could pierce her left arm, she grabbed the snake's tooth with her right arm, protected from the venom by her armored gauntlet. In one thrust, she broke off the fang, causing the Uraeus Astrape to thrash in agony. Mordred jumped out of its mouth as she landed on the ground, glaring at the caster and assassin. "The two of you," She said as she pointed at them with the fang, "I'm not going to let you stand in my way."

"Oh," Cleo said with an intrigued smile, "So, you're finally going to stop playing around." She then snapped her right figures, causing her Uraeus Astrape to at Mordred. The prideful knight glanced over at the serpent but kept her stance facing the two fighters. She tightened her grip on the fang as the snake was ready to pounce.

Suddenly, the floor below Uraeus Astrape erupted in a pillar of fire. The three fighters had a look of shock as the golden serpent was flung aside in the damage. As the fire settled, a small hole was in the arena. Jumping out of the hole was Yang, her left hand and wrapped with her orange scarf, "Well, that's one way to make an entrance." She said as the others had a somewhat shocked expression on their faces.

"Yang!?" Mordred said in astonishment, "How did you-"

"It's you, Saber." Yang responded in a somewhat coincident voice, almost as if she was mincing to the tone of her ice queen teammate, "Boy, you look like crap."

"What!?" Mordred responded in confusion as Yang turned away from her, similar befuddlement on the faces of Cleo and Nitocris, "Hey, I'm talking to you."

"Well, that's no good, I look like those two have teamed up." Yang said before putting her right hand to her chin, "One against two against one is not favorable for me, what should I do?" Suddenly, she snapped with her right hand and smiled, "I got it!" She said before turning back to Mordred, "How about you and I have a temporary alliance like those two have, that seems like the smart move at this point." She said with Mordred have a look of slight shock, "Then, I can knock you out and win this whole thing, you get me?" She said with a grin.

"That last part is not going to happen!" Mordred shouted back, but her voice slight softened afterward, "But, there is no question an alliance is appropriate for these circumstances." She said as she glared over at Cleo and Nitocris, "We'll take out those two together." She then glared back at the blond berserker, "Then, I'll toss you out of this arena." Her last statement caused Yang to have a grin. The two then turned towards the assassin and caster, walking towards them in confidence. Mordred then had a smirk form on her face as she spoke to her temporary ally, "For the record, your acting sucks." She said with Yang not paying it any attention.

"This could be troublesome," Cleo said before looking at Nitocris, "Get your Noble Phantasm ready, that's the only way we can beat them both." She said with the canine faunus nodding. Cleo ran towards the two while Nitocris placed her arms on her chest, closing her eyes.

Yang and Mordred ran to intercept the snake-haired queen. The blond berserker attempted a right cross, while the prideful knight tried to stab her with the fang. However, Cleo dodged them both, jumping over them in evasion. Cleo then kicked Mordred in the back, forcing the knight to the ground.

Before Cleo could retract her left leg. Yang grabbed in with her right hand at the ankle. She then chucked Cleo into the arena wall. The snake-haired queen's eyes widened as she gasped in pain. She then gritted her teeth as she ran for Yang.

However, Mordred got back. She looked over at Cleo and threw the snake fang like a dagger. Cleo noticed the projectile at the last second, narrowly ducking the venomous fang. However, her new position left her open. Yang used the force of her Ember Celica to rocket her towards Cleo, right shoulder tackling the snake-haired queen.

Cleo was again thrown back, crashing into the wall like before, "Damn it," She said as she pushed herself out of the wall, "I knew this would happen if they paired up." Cleo commented as looked at Mordred and Yang. She then commanded raised her right hand commanding her Uraeus Astrape to slither next to her.

Suddenly, the three turned to Nitocris, "Mirror of Corpses. Mirror of Darkness." She chanted as a black and blue vortex appeared behind her. Emerging was a massive black coffin-like statue of a jackal with gold lining and red lights, its arms crossed the same way the canine faunus' was, "Become a gate, and release terror," She said as a large mirror abruptly appeared over the head of the coffin-like statue, extending from it were what looked like white wings. Nitocris then opened her eyes as she uncrossed her arms, "Anpu, Neb-Ta-Djeser!" She declared before the mirror turned black, causing some type of sectors to pour out. While they had no physical body, they moved like a snake through the air. Their color was a translucent blue with the skulls resembling that of the creature of Grimm. Mordred and Yang jumped back as they tried to avoid the specters.

"Yang, do not touch those!" Martha warned, "If one of those things passes through you, it will cast a spell that will make you feel like you just died. If that happens, you are going to be knocked out for the round."

"Got it," Yang said before she turned to Mordred, "I'll take caster, you fight assassin." She with Mordred nodding. The prideful knight then jumped away as Yang focused on the specters. As she dodged, the blond berserker launched a blast of fire dust from her Ember Celica to Nitocris. However, the canine faunus summoned a yellow scarab in front of her, intercepting the blast. As the smoke cleared, Nitocris placed her arms across her chest again, causing her body to radiate a black aura with more specters leaving the mirror. Yang continues to dodge them but noticed gritted her teeth as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, "Damnit, just a bit longer." She thought as she continued to dodge.

Mordred ran towards Cleo on her Uraeus Astrape. The golden snake hissed before it lunged at the prideful knight, dodging it gapping mouth. Cleo assumed a defensive stance as Mordred tried a right cross. The snake-haired queen blocked the hit, but Mordred followed with a quick right shoulder tackle. This time Cleo fell back from the force of the hit, nearly falling off her own snake. Suddenly, Uraeus Astrape thrashed its body, shaking off Mordred as Cleo recovered.

While Cleo searched for the prideful knight, she quickly noticed her running away the massive serpent. A look of confusion came upon Cleo's face until she realized what was just a few meters from Mordred, the sword Clarent at the edge of the arena. A look of panic filled Cleo's face as she commanded her snake. Quickly, the massive serpent slithered to cut off the prideful knight.

However, Mordred grinned as she changed directions, heading to her right. Cleo had a look of confusion again at the sudden change. However, she suddenly realized what weapon Mordred was looking for. It wasn't the sword, it was the fang. Mordred quickly picked it up in the safety if her right gauntlet as she readied to throw it. Cleo stayed close to her Uraeus Astrape as she readied to dodge the projectile. However, Mordred grinned again as she looked over to her true target. Mordred launched the fang straight towards an unaware Nitocris, "Look out!" Cleo called to her temporary teammate.

Nitocris turned in shock to see the fang coming at her abdomen. She tried her best to move out of the way, but the fang scraped again her right side. As the canine looked at the cut, her body began to sweat profusely. She dropped her metal staff as she fell to one knee. In the process, the coffin-like statue started to sway and crack. The specters in the mirror started to retarget in a random direction, lessening their focus on Yang.

However, due to the size of her golden serpent, Uraeus Astrape could not dodge the specters. It screeched in agony before despawning. Cleo freefell as she tried to look for a place to land. However, she heard an ominous moan as she turned to her right, seeing a specter heading straight for her. Unable to dodge, it passed straight through her face.

Mordred and Yang watched as the coffin-like statue and mirror fell back into the vortex. The specters faded as well. Cleo's body hit the ground, her face and eyes vacant. Nitocris' laid on her stomach as she closed her eyes. The assassin and the caster's bodies were then teleported out of the arena as they were unable to continue.

 _Assassin Defeated._

 _Caster Defeated._

"Don't worry, their lives aren't in danger," Kairi spoke to Mordred, "But, they will be out of it for a while."

"That's good," Mordred said with a sigh of relief, but still had a mournful look on her face, "When it's over, I'll explain everything to them." She then looked over to see Yang walking over, "But, it's not over yet."

"You know, I had a feeling it would come down to me and you." Yang said as she stood a few feet away from her opponent, "By the end of this, one of will get our wish granted."

"Yeah," Mordred said with a smile before silence fell between the two. Suddenly, the two had a stern expression before rushing right at each other. They reeled back their right arm, clenching the fist. Once within range, the two remaining fighters swung at one another. The right fist collided with each other, the shockwave reverberating through the whole arena. After the impact, Mordred's gauntlet cracked at the knuckles, breaking the last piece of her armor. On the other side, Yang's right Ember Celica's frame had fractured, breaking off her wrist into a few chunks of yellow metal. Both fighters skidded back on the heels of their boots, but the quickly rushed each other again.

This time, Mordred attempted a right jab, followed instantly by a left cross. Yang dodged both before right shoulder tackling the prideful knight. The attack hit, pushing Mordred back a few feet. However, Mordred did not let go of her opponent, instead of picking her up. She then lifted Yang over her head before throwing her straight into the ground.

Yang landed on her right side, her shoulder taking most of the brunt of the damage. Due to the angle, she landed on, the blond berserker heard a slight pop as she screamed. Mordred's eyes gasped in slight horror as she looked down at Yang. However, as Yang opened her eyes, she smirked before pivoting her body. With her left leg, she swept Mordred, causing her to fall on her back as Yang stood up, "Yikes, you fell for such an obvious fake cry." Yang taunted, "Come on, Lessdred." Her comment caused Mordred to grit her teeth in anger.

Martha spoke in Yang mind in worry, "Yang, I can tell from here, you just dislocated your shoulder."

"Yeah, I know." Yang commented back in her head, her right arm hanging limply to her side, "It really hurts, I think I ran out of all my aura." She said as Mordred stood back up, "But, hold off on that command seal, I just need a little more time."

Mordred then began to unleash a flurry of punches. Yang's used her left Ember Celica to block the punches, backing up with each blow. Suddenly, Mordred threw in a front kick into her assault. Her boot struck into Yang's stomach, launching her back a few meters. Her eyes widened as her mouth filled with blood, of which she vomited onto the floor. Yang then glared up at Mordred, her eyes turning red, and charged at her. Mordred charged as was, both fights screaming a battle cry as they rammed into each other with a left shoulder tackle. Their foreheads crashing into each other'. Their eyes centimeters apart, glaring into the others with determination.

Yang reeled back her head as far back as she could, the thrust forward into Mordred's skull. Mordred closed her eyes in response to the pain, taking a few steps back in the process. As she opened them, she looked to see Yang running at her. At the last second, Yang jumped, lifting her legs and aiming her feet at Mordred. She dropkicked the prideful knight, sending her flying back and into the arena wall.

After delivering the hit, Yang fell on her back, her breathing heavy. Slowly, she pushed herself up, seeing Mordred doing the same. The wall behind Mordred started to collapse, revealing the open sky behind her. Both fighters gasped at the realization that they were so close to the edge of the Garden. However, Mordred also noticed something she was now near, her sword.

Mordred reached for Clarent picking it up. As Yang took up a defensive stance, Mordred held her sword with both hands. Suddenly, the hilt of her sword opened. The blade glowed a flash of reddish lightning that sparked uncontrollable. As the energy gathered, a pillar of red lightning shoots out from the whole sword as Mordred stood focused.

"Okay, Mor, this is what I was waiting for," Yang said in her head before speaking directly to Martha, "Hey, it's time, used the command seal to boost my defensives and heal me as much as possible."

"I understand," Martha responded as she looked at her command seal vanish. Suddenly, Yang body glowed in a yellow light. She slowly moved her right and left hands, before hitting them against one another. Her hair began to glow as she crossed her arms in a blocking stance, "So, you wanted this outcome."

"Yeah," Yang said with a smile, "I knew Mordred would realize the only way she could beat me was with her Noble Phantasm." Yang said as the red lighting glowed more violently, "I can't get close to her now, and its impossible for me to dodge it." She said as Mordred gritted her teeth, "She beats me with this, she will have truly won this round of Grand Order." As Yang grinned on last time, a look of confusion filled her eyes as she looked at her opponent, "Mor…?" She thought as she noticed tears in the prideful knights' eyes.

As Mordred's sword continued to glow brighter with more energy, "Kairi, use the command seal to restrict the power of Noble Phantasm." She said in her mind with him have a look of confusion, "I can see that Yang just used her command seal, but I can't hold back myself, my body isn't letting me. I'm afraid that if I hit her with this, she'll…" Mordred said as the tears still poured down her face, "Please Kairi, if that happens, I could never live with myself." She begged with Kairi nodding, the command seal vanishing from his hand, "Thank you." Mordred said before she tightened her grip on the sword, "This is it, Clarent," Mordred declared as she raised her sword, "Blood Arthur!" Mordred swung her sword down, unleashing a blast wave of the red lightning.

Yang's eyes widened, her muscles tightened as she stood to in the path of the beam of red lightning. Every inch of her body felt the force of the blast, but she reminded in the same position. Her Ember Celica broke apart as she shut her eyes in response to the pain. The Noble Phantasm ran through the enter Garden of Babylon, exiting out the opposite side of the fortress. The beam continued to streak across the sky, evaporating clouds it passed. After a few seconds, the beam slowly dissipated.

Back inside the Garden, a large channel was created from the blast wave. Sparks of the red lightning ran through the damage, appearing at random intervolves. Only one thing stood in the channel of destruction, the blond berserker. Her body radiating smoke from the red energy, sparks of the lightning radiated off her body. She still held her hands in a defensive stance, but her hair flickered in its brilliance. Her body stubbled as she tried to remain to stand, "Ouch…" Despite her immeasurable pain, she still had a smile on her face, "Why am I still standing, I guess more resilient than I thought." Her arms then fell limp to her side as she looked up, seeing Mordred at the end of the channel. The prideful knights breathing was heavy as sweat poured down her face. Her hands trembled as she held onto her Clarent, "But, it's over. Any second now, I can feel myself about to pass out."

Yang looked up at Mordred, seeing the prideful knight look back at her. Yang blinked as her eye libs grew heavier. Yang started to feel herself start to fall forward, looking up at Mordred. Suddenly, she heard a rumbling sound. Mordred heads the same noise, causing a look of confusion on her face. She then looked down to see the floor she was standing on was cracking. Before she could hand time to react, the ground collapsed. Yang's eyes widened in horror as she knew, Mordred was next to the edge, "Mor!" Yang screamed in panic.

At the edge of the arena, Mordred grabbed onto the edge of the floor with her right hand. Her Clarent was in her left hand as she looked down, seeing only the open sky. Mordred quickly despawned her sword as she reached for a second grip. However, before she could get her other hand onto the edge, the floor she was holding onto gave out. Time appeared to slow down for her as she fell, knowing soon she would be eliminated. The image of Arturia came to her mind, but the only the King of Knight's back was what she saw, "…I was always in your shadow, but it made me feel closer to you," Mordred said as reacted out with her left arm, still knowing she could not grasp it, "...Just once, I wish you would have turned around, and looked me in the eyes…" She said as a smile came onto her face, her eyes closed, "At least Yang will have a chance to be happy."

Suddenly, Mordred felt her falling stop. She felt something around her left wrist. Mordred opened her eyes to discover Yang. The blond berserk gritted her teeth as she after her body hung over the edge, her right arm catching Mordred's left arm. In one pull, Yang threw Mordred back into the arena. She landed on her back as Yang slowly stood up, her breathing heavy. Mordred then turned with a look of panic on her face, silence fell between the two. Suddenly, the ground began to crack again. Yang looked down to see the crakes form, a line of sweat ran down her face as she knew what was going to happen. As the floor gave way, Mordred got up and ran to Yang, reaching out her left arm. As she fell, Yang reached out with her right and to Mordred. However, it was not enough, the tips of their fingers grazed each other's, but one continued to fall. Mordred watched as Yang freefell out of the Garden, right up until her body was transported away.

 _Berserker eliminated by ring out_

Back at Chaldea, Yang teleported to her assigned room for Grand Order. She looked up to see Martha, Ruby, and Gilgamesh looking at her. Each had a look of speechlessness on their faces at her last move. After a few seconds, she then looked at the monitor, seeing a line of text that put a weak smile on her face.

 _Round Three Winner: Saber_

Martha then walked over to Yang, helping her to her feet and using herself a crutch for the blond berserker. The group then exited the room, walking down the halls. Yang still looked at the floor, the only thing keeping her awake was a single question, "What have I done?" She then looked slight up, seeing someone running at them. As she focused, she recognized it as Mordred. Her eyes widened for a second before she had a small smile return, "Congr-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Mordred was right in front of the blond berserker. The prideful knight reeled back her right arm, punching Yang in the left cheek. The force of the impact knocked Yang out of Martha's hold and onto the floor. Martha, Ruby, and Gilgamesh had a look of shock on their faces as Yang tried to push herself up, "How could you!" Mordred said as Yang looked at her, noticing the whimpering in her voice. As Yang looked up, she saw the tears in the prideful knight's eyes, "You let me win!"

"Yang!" Ruby said as she went to her sister's side while Gilgamesh glared at Mordred.

"Mordred!" Martha shouted at the prideful knight, "It is not allowed to attack an opponent after they have already been defeated."

"I didn't defeat her, she let me win!" Mordred responded to Martha before turning back Yang, "I told you how important this was, for both of us. And you ruined it all!" Mordred shouted as she reeled back her right arm again, "Of all people, I thought you would understand!" She said as she was about to unleash her punch, but Gilgamesh caught it. As she glared back at him, he responded with a cold scowl. Her arm then became less tense, causing him to release her.

"I do understand," Yang said as she slowly got up, causing a look of panic on Ruby's eyes, "I know about why you wanted to win, and what could happen if you lost." Yang then took a few steps over to Mordred, who was still glaring at her. Suddenly, a look of shock came upon the prideful knight's as Yang put her arms around her, hugging her, "You deserve to be happy, Mor."

At that moment, Mordred's eyes glowed with more tears. She gritted her teeth as she put her hands-on Yang's sides, pushing her back. Yang stubbled back as she was about to fall, Ruby moving to catch her. Mordred looked down at Yang as she clenched her fist. She turned and ran the other direction, "Mordred!" Martha called but got no response. She then looked back to Yang, who had a look of confusion on her face as she checked her pockets, "What's wrong?"

"My keys to Bumblebee, where did they-" Yang said aloud, realizing the answer. She looked up to see Mordred, running away, knowing what her plan was, "Mor, wait-" Yang said as she quickly got up. However, the sharp pain ran through her whole body. Her vision became blurry as she fell forward, laying near motionless on the floor.

"Yang!" All three said at the same time as they realized she had passed out, but a look of sorrow was still on her face.

As Mordred ran down the halls, she turned back to see the group huddled around the unconscious blond berserker. She stopped running as a look of remorse filled her face. However, she closed her eyes as she turned away, teardrops hitting the floor as Mordred ran away from Yang.

 **AN: There you go, round three is over. Mordred is the victor, but not they way she wanted to win. I really liked both her and Yang's character this chapter. This moment was one I was planning for a while and I am happy with the translation. The drama is not over yet, I still have the next chapter with something I think is even more heartbreaking to happen. Like before, it will be an intermission chapter before round four starts.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	68. Chapter 65 - Forced Meeting

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter. Thank you for all the support for this story, we are getting close to almost 200,000 views now. You are all awesome for checking out this story. We are about to see another dramatic moment as the story heads towards the massive war. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 65 – Forced Meeting**

 _Yang._

As she grunted in pain, Yang slowly opened her eyes, discovering she was in a bed in the infirmary. She quickly got up, a sudden sting of pain throughout her body, "Slow down." A familiar voice said. The blond berserk discovered it as Kairi, who sat next to Gilgamesh and Ruby.

"Where's Mor?" Yang asked them.

"You already know where she is going," Gilgamesh was the one to answer, "And since you have been passed out for over an hour, she is most likely there."

"They filled me in on everything," Ruby said in remorse, "Poor Mordred."

"She went to the town her father is?" The blond berserker said as she fell back in her bed, a look of irritation on her face forming, "And she stole my Bumblebee."

"She was pretty upset when she returned from the Hanging Garden," Kairi said as he rubbed his chest, "Punched me before I could get a word in, I think she broke a rib."

"It's apparent she doesn't want anyone to follow her, even those closest to her," Gilgamesh said as he turned to Yang who was looking at the ceiling.

"Yang," Ruby, said, causing her sister to turn to her, "I was just wondering, what would you have done if the situation was reversed?"

"…Probably the same thing," Yang said in an honest voice, Ruby gave an understating smile with a nod, "If it was my mom, I think I would lose myself in panic like Mordred. The thought that I just messed up my one chance to get her back into my life..." Her expression then changed to one of sadness as she looked back to the two, "But, I would still regret how I acted to people who just wanted the best for me. That's something I would have to carry for the rest of my life. I don't what Mor to carry that burden, she already has so much on her shoulders."

"Now, what do you do next?" The King of Heroes asked, "While your vehicle is gone, mine is still available."

"You're saying we go after her," Yang responded, "She would be pretty pissed."

"Are you saying you are not anger right now at her actions?" Gilgamesh responded with a smirk.

"Oh, I'm furious," Yang said as she looked back at him, a smile on her face complimented by her red eyes, "In fact, if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't doubt Mor trying to convince you to borrow your airship right now."

The King of Heroes laughed as Yang got out of her bed, "You are truly an interesting woman." He said with a grin, Yang responding in kind.

"…Uhhh…" Ruby said as she had on an awkward smile to the couple, "Well, I hope it all goes well." Ruby said as she walked over to hug her sister, "I'm pretty sure they're going to start calling the students for the final round now."

"Okay Sis show them what you got," Yang said as she hugged her sister back.

"If you need help, Enkidu offered to aid Ruby in battle," Gilgamesh said to the two girls, "However, the condition to the alliances were never stated to me."

"Oh thanks, I'll tell Iskandar as we prepare," Ruby responded before waving goodbye to the King of Heroes. She then sped out of the room, leaving only a trail of rose petals behind her.

Yang then walked over to Gilgamesh with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "That was nice of you." She said as he smirked, "Anyway, we should get going." The blond berserker then turned to Kairi, "Can you stay back and cover for us?"

"Sure, but remember," Kairi said as he stood up, "You may have recovered, but not fully. Not to mention, your weapon is destroyed." He then reached behind back, pulling out a short double barrel shotgun, "Take this." He said before shooting a glare to Gilgamesh, "Even though he is your boyfriend, I don't think he would loan you one of his." The Necromancers comment caused Gilgamesh to smirk at him in response.

"It's fine," Yang said as she took the shotgun, examining it, "This is closer to my kink of weapon anyway." She said before pulling back the barrels as if to reload, noticing two shells already in the chamber, "Are these like the ones from my first lesson." She said with a smile, causing him to respond in kind. "Awesome." She said before readying her weapon behind her back, turning to Gilgamesh, "Let's go." She said with him nodding, leading to the two running out the door.

After watching them leave, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief. After a few minutes, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, taking one out, "This is a real mess," Kairi said to himself before he lit the cigarette in his mouth, looking out the open window. He managed to see Gilgamesh's Vimana take off into the distance. As a look of hope filled his eyes, he decided to check his scroll, forgetting to do so because of the drama. In taking the device out, he discovered a missed call from Kiritsugu. However, as he listened to the message, his hand to shake, and the cigarette to fall out of his mouth.

 _Over an hour earlier._

 _Arturia_

In the dining area of the Early Bird, a few citizens gathered as they ate their meals. Their eyes fixated on the screen displaying the third round of Grand Order. In the far back table next to the window, Arturia and Diarmuid sat across one another as they watched Mordred raise her Clarent, "Clarent Blood Arthur!" The prideful knight declared before unleashing the Noble Phantasm on Yang.

Arturia sighed as Diarmuid turned to her, "Well, not exactly a faltering name for her most powerful attack." He said with a small smirk, causing her to glare at him, but his face slowly turned more serious, "So, how would you rate her performance?"

"Mordred…she has gotten a lot stronger." Arturia responded as she looked at the screen, "She has more resilience than ever before."

"Well, she does have a heavy motivator for winning." The handsome lancer responded as he looked the screen, see the smoke starting to clear, noticing Mordred still standing, "And she just might do it now." However, he then noticed Yang still standing after the attack, "But that berserker, she is giving Mordred a run for her money."

"Yes," Arturia responded, "This match might be all but over." She said as the screen focused on Mordred. However, The King of Knights eyes widened as she saw the arena floor begin to crack, "Mordred!" Arturia said as she stood up reaching her hand to towards the screen, seeing her daughter fall.

Suddenly, the screen turned off, a collective groan of annoyance echoed through the crowd. Arturia had a look of shook, not know what happened next, "Arturia Pendragon," She heard someone call her name. In turning around, she saw Kiritsugu standing in the entrance to the dining area, the remote in his right hand, "We need to talk."

"Kiritsugu," Diarmuid said in resentment, "What are you doing here?"

"It took a while to find your exact location," The head of special operation said, ignoring the handsome lancer presence, "I'm here to warn you."

"Warn me," Arturia asked, "Of what?"

Kiritsugu was about to speak, but he then noticed every other in resident glaring at him, "Let's speak in private."

"Hey, we were in the middle of the watching The Grand Order." Diarmuid stood up to the head of special operations.

"This is more important," Kiritsugu responded.

"Mordred was one of the last two fighters," Diarmuid glared at Kiritsugu, his rage building, "I know you don't care because your son is in any rounds."

"…Then why do you care?" Kiritsugu responded, causing Diarmuid to slight gasp at his misstep, "You don't have any child in this competition," He then glanced over to Arturia, "Or do you?"

"You need to stop with these implications." Diarmuid said, refocusing Kiritsugu attention on him, "If you are here to warn us, then that is all you should be doing."

"…Fine," Kiritsugu said before turning around, "Just follow me." He said as he walked away. Diarmuid sighed before he followed.

Arturia responded in kind. However, in the corner of her eye, she noticed something out the window. Down the road, a pillar of black energy was forming. Her heart began to race as a look of horror filled her eyes, the black energy growing larger as it headed straight for her location, "Everyone, get down!" She yelled, a look of confusion on the residents of the inn, while Diarmuid and Kiritsugu turned to her in shock.

Within an instant, the Early Bird Inn was destroyed, overcome by the wave of black energy. Bits of wood and stone crumbled to the ground, the building no longer resembles what it once stood as. Out of the wreckage, Arturia pushed a wooden support beam from her body. Her armor dawned, but a line of blood ran down from the top of her head. Her breathing was heavy as she looked at the carnage around her, the residents she had attempted to warn, their bodies were charred to a crisp. The echo of screams from the residents of other building was heard, trying to flee in fear of their lives. She turned to where she lasts a saw Diarmuid and Kiritsugu but found no trace of them. Instead, she discovered the desk receptionist, the coughing of her last words as a look of sorrow filled her final gaze.

"This is your fault," A female spoke to Arturia. The King of Knights turned to the voice, but her eyes widened at the one addressing her, Guinevere, "You are the reason for all this death and destruction." As she walked, next her was a dark armor clade of The King of Knight male form. In his right hand was a darken blade of Excalibur, "A fallen King, for a falling empire."

"Guinevere!" Arturia spoke in astonishment, "What happened to you?" She then turned to the one next to her former wife, "What is that?"

"This is your Alter," Guinevere answered, "But I like to refer to it as the One and True King of Remnant."

"What!?" Arturia said before seeing her alter ready its sword. The King of Knight's responded in kind spawning her own Excalibur in her hands. However, she soon felt a pulse ring through her whole body, her eyes widening in pain.

"Oh, what's this?" Guinevere commented, "Can you no longer wield your precious sword?" She said as a look of rage filled her eyes, "The trouble that form has caused, you are only feeling a fraction of the agony it has caused me for the last eighteen years."

"Guinevere…" Arturia said as she lowered her sword, "…I'm sorry." She said with her former wife going silent, "I once thought this change didn't matter, that I could live with something I had no control over." Her Excalibur then despawned, "But, I never considered how this change would affect those around me." Arturia said as she closed her eyes, but tears still dropping off her face, "I only thought of my own burdens, never understanding what others had to bare." She then opened her eyes toward Guinevere, "I am sorry, for all the pain I caused you." She then glanced over the carnage of her alters the last attack, "But please, do not harm these innocent people. If I am the one you truly hate, let this all end with my death."

"…" Guinevere responded in silence as she looked slightly down, her fist tightening, "You think that this is where I will stop?" She said with Arturia gasping in confusion, "What you had me endure: the humiliation, the heartbreak, it drove me insane!" She said as she glared up at Arturia, pointing at her, "I went from a happy life with the King of Knight, to one night discovering that he was not only now a woman, but bore a child made of the transformation!" Suddenly, Arturia noticed tears forming in Guinevere eyes now, "I tried to find happiness again, I thought I had found with Lancelot and Mash. However, every moment with them felt hallow. It wasn't me living anymore, I was watching my body go through the motion of what happiness should be, but I felt nothing." She then wiped the tears away before a scowl filed her gaze at Arturia, "You ruined my life forever, King of Knight. I blame you, but I also blame fate for changing you into that body." Guinevere then stretched out her arms, as if she were to expand her reach to the whole land, "So, I will destroy you and this whole kingdom!" She then smiled as Arturia had a look of horror, "That way, I will be the one to decide fate, once and for all."

"Guinevere…" Arturia said as Guinevere pointed at her.

"I'm done talking to you." She said before glancing back at the Alter, "Arthur, kill her!" She said before the Alter King of Knight lunged forward.

Arturia tried to respawn her Excalibur but was interrupted. Emerging from the rubble in front of her, Diarmuid jumped in-between the two Kings of Knights. In this right hand was a red metal lance the resembled the one used by the blue-haired lancer. In his left was a similar but shorter lance, one that was made of yellow metal. He crossed the lances as he blocked the Alter's Excalibur, "Arturia, get out of here!" Diarmuid said as he struggled to hold his ground against the force of the alter.

"Diarmuid!" Arturia said in shock.

"Oh, so your bodyguard is still alive." Guinevere said as she raised her right arm, "Arthur, killed them both!" She said with the alter of the King of Knight, growling through his teeth. He pulled his sword back, causing Diarmuid to become off-balance. Arthur Alter then attempted a horizontal slash.

As he saw the blade approaching, Diarmuid jumped back to avoid the strike. He then jumped forward, plunging the red lance into Arthur alters heart, the tip of the spear poking out the back. The handsome lancer grinned at the direct hit. However, that smile quickly faded as Arthur Alter appeared unfazed.

The Alter of the King of Knights took his left hand off his sword, facing the palm towards Diarmuid's chest. Suddenly, a blast wave of black energy shot from his palm. The blast caused an explosion. The forced sent Diarmuid flying back, causing him to let go of his red lance. Arturia moved into his path, catching Diarmuid, the souls of her steel boots digging into the ground. As he groaned in pain, Arturia saw her alter pull out the red lance from his body, "He wasn't affected by it." She said before Arthur alter tossed the red lance up, then slashed it in half with his Excalibur. As the two halves fell to the ground, they faded away.

"If you thought that was enough to kill him, you are sadly mistaken." Guinevere responded, "He was made to be invincible." She said with Arturia and Diarmuid gritting their teeth, watching as Arthur alter walked towards them.

Suddenly, a hail of bullet fire collided with the alter of the King of Knights chest. The others had a look to discover Kiritsugu, shooting from a submachine gun with a cylindrical cartridge mount on top. The Arthur alter glare at him before lunging forward, but the head of special operation remained focused. While he still fired with the gun in his left hand, he pulled out an antic pistol with a long barrel. Right as Arthur alter was within a few feet, Kiritsugu fired a single round from the pistol. The shot pushed back the alter, causing him to convulse on the ground as his blood vessels began to pop.

"An Origin Round," Arturia commented.

"For the record, this is what I was going to warn you about." Kiritsugu responded the King of Knights, ceasing his fire, "This alter was created from the black gunk the covered your body seven years ago." He said with Arturia instantly remembering the incident. Her mind going back to the image of the humanoid Grimm and the tragedy of the team Kiritsugu's son was a part of. Kiritsugu then turned to Guinevere, "No matter how invincible you thought he was, an Origin Round will cripple any being."

Guinevere had a small chuckle, "Are you sure about that?" She said with Kiritsugu eyes narrowing at her, assume it as a bluff. However, he then gasping as he saw the Arthur alter stand up, his body sparking with black and purple lighting. "It's true your Origin Rounds were a problem. That is until we learned of a countermeasure." She said as the alter of the King of Knights body began to glow with a flash of pinkish lightning, "Thanks to a previous alter's mistakes, I learned of a way to 'reset' my King's condition." She said before she moved her right hand to snap her fingers, "Goodbye." She said before snapping, creating a purple cubic barrier around her body.

Kiritsugu quickly tried to load in another Origin Round to his pistol, but he was tackled to into cover by Arturia and Diarmuid. A second later, Arthur Alter's body exploded, the blast wave covering the entire rest of the town. A black smoke cloud with pinkish lighting sparking through it covered the area. As the smoke was carried by the wind, it revealed the town as no more. the houses and building were demolished, the screams of the other citizens were silent. As Guinevere recalled her barrier, it showed the last pieces of untouched land in the town. She then looked a few meters in front of her to see the skeleton of the alter. Slowly, a black aura formed around it, reconstructing the muscle and flesh of the monster. In a matter of seconds, even his blacken armor was restored as he picked up his Excalibur.

In the distance still shrouded by a bit of smoke, Kiritsugu looked at his right arm. His antic pistol was destroyed in the palm of his hand, causing him to drop it in anger. He then looked over to Diarmuid, who held an unconscious Arturia in his arms. Both of their bodies were thrashed from the blast wave, "Kiritsugu…" Diarmuid said as he looked at Arturia with eyes of sorrow, "Get Arturia out of here." he looked to special operations manager, laying The King of Knights on the floor, "I'll cover your escape, getting Guinevere and that thing's attention." Diarmuid said as he picked up his yellow lance, "Just…Arturia needs to see Mordred one last time."

"…Okay," Kiritsugu said before he tried to pick up Arturia, "Do you have a plan?"

Diarmuid smirked as he looked through the smoke, seeing his enemies still unaware of their position, "Actually yes, even a backup one." He then tightened his grip on his lance as he walked forward, "But if I have to execute the backup, make sure you are far away." He looked back to see Kiritsugu nodding.

At that moment, Diarmuid turned forward before lunging out of the smoke. He headed straight for Arthur Alter, the yellow lance aimed at the head. However, the alter of the King of Knights blocked the surprise attack with the sword. Diarmuid recovered before attempting to stab him again.

Guinevere sneered as she watched Diarmuid struggle to land a hit, "I know your plan, and it will not work." She said as Diarmuid gritted his teeth, "With that lance, you can inflict a wound that will never heal." Suddenly, the Alter's Excalibur began to glow with a purplish black aura. In a flash, Arthur Alter did and upwards slash. Diarmuid attempted to block with his yellow lance, but the blade cut right through it, as well as creating a large gash across the handsome lancer's chest.

Diarmuid fell back, the haves of the yellow lance vanishing as he hit the floor. He struggled to move his head to examine his wound, but his eyes widened at what he saw. The blood from his gash was turning into a black liquid, resembling that of the black gunk. "What!?" he said as he found himself unable to move.

"I have prepared for every contingency." Guinevere said as she walked over to Diarmuid, her arms crossed, "You were hoping to have my King use his ability again. Knowing nobody else is alive, the carnage from the explosion would provide the cover for Arturia to escape." She looked down to see Diarmuid's eyes losing their light. "A noble sacrifice, no wonder the two of you were such close finds."

Diarmuid coughed before he gritted his teeth, "Well… backup it is."

"What was that?" Guinevere responded a look of interest on her face.

"Guinevere…" The handsome lancer said as she looked down at him, "You cannot blame Arturia for everything wrong in your life." He said before he coughed, "…I am also at fault for what I did." He said with a look of confusion on Guinevere's face, "Mordred… she is not what she thinks she is…she is not what you think she is…" Diarmuid said with Guinevere's eyes slowly realizing what he meant, "It was on the same night…it was a lie we kept from the entire world."

"You…!" Guinevere said her fist clenched, her teeth grit, her eyes shaking in rage.

"Guinevere…I'm sorry." Diarmuid said, "Please, do what you will against me… but do not hurt anyone else for my sin."

Guinevere did not hear his last words, her mind already lost to her anger, "Arthur!" She shouted as she turned to the Alter of the King of Knights, "Obliterate him, NOW!" She said as the Alter held Excalibur to his side.

The darken blade began to radiate a hateful black aura, charging an attack. Guinevere ran behind the later, while Diarmuid knew he could not move, "Excalibur…" Arthur said one of the two words he could say, "Morgan!" He said before thrusting his blade upward, creating a wave of blackening energy through the destroyed city. Diarmuid slowly closed his eyes as his body was enveloped by the wave of destruction.

In the distance, Kiritsugu drove an open roof car with Arturia laying in the back seats. He felt the ground shake, almost losing control of his vehicle. He looked back to see the destroyed town, the blast wave of black energy destroying the landscape in the opposite direction. He turned around reaching for his scroll to make a call. After a few seconds, it went to a voicemail, "Kairi, I found Arturia, but the town was destroyed by an Arthur Alter and Guinevere. Inform the rest of the academy." He then ended the call, but as he attempted to make another, the scroll went dead. He then examined the scroll to see it was damaged while on his person, now unable to make another warning. He put his scroll away as he focused on driving, he then looked back at Arturia's unconscious body, noticing a tear roll down the side of her face.

In the destroyed town, Guinevere was seething in anger as she looked at the destruction. In a moment of frustration, she screamed at the sky, her voice echoing through the land, "DAMN YOU ARTURIA!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly, a crimson glyph appeared on the ground behind her, she turned to see a projection of the cross-eyed man. "I take it that things did not go as planned." He said with a smirk on his face.

"Shut up Gilles!" Guinevere responded with a scowl, "No more planning, Apocrypha falls today!"

"Well, I would agree, we have waited long enough." Gilles responded with a smile, "However, I would like a few more alters to our army."

"We do not need them," Guinevere said as she looked to the Arthur Alter, "My King will be able to destroy them all."

"While he is powerful, I can tell you have already used our failsafe. As well as his Noble Phantasm." Gilles said as Guinevere glared back at him, "That is an incredible amount of mana you have wasted. If you are planning of fighting every Heroic Spirit at Chaldea, you will lose." She gritted her teeth before she was about to shout again, but Gilles smirked, "However, I know of a way for us to gain a large amount of alters quickly." The cross-eyed man said with her listening, "There is a town that has a number of specimens for us to experiment with. A good number of them could make excellent Alters." He said as with her now smiling.

"Send me the coordinates," Guinevere responded, "I'm on my way."

Gillis nodded as he had a sinister smile, "As are we." He said before vanishing. Guinevere walked away with Arthur Alter following.

 _Present time._

"…" buried in the rubble, Diarmuid could only open his right eye halfway, which was filled with his blood, "…Why am I still alive?" he thought as he could not speak, "My body is numb, I can't feel anything anymore. Why am I alive." He thought as his eye began to bleed, "…this is my punishment…for what I did to this kingdom…" his eye started to close, "I can't ask for forgiveness…I can only suffer until I eventually die…"

Suddenly, he heard a sound a motorcycle driving up, but he did not open his eye. A female voice followed, "W-What happened?"

"That voice…" Diarmuid thought as his eye opened, "…It couldn't be…"

"Hey, what happened here!" The person called out, panic in her voice, "Father, where are you?"

"Mordred!" Diarmuid thought, while unable to speak, he made one loud cough.

"Huh?" The person heard, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. After the moving of debris, Diarmuid looked to see his guess was right, "You!" Mordred said as she saw the handsome lancer. However, his body was mangled beyond recognition. As she looked at him in horror, she wondered what was keeping him alive. She then looked to see him cough one last time, "H-hey, you can't die now." Mordred pleaded, "What happened here, why is this down destroyed." She said as tears formed in her eyes, "Where is my Father!?"

Upon hearing those words, Diarmuid's right eye had another trail of blood fall down the side of his face. However, his mouth slowly moved to form the shape of a smile, "Oh…this is why I was still able to hang on…" He thought to himself, "…Fate can sometimes be a blessing…"

"You bastard, I told you to not to let anything happen to her," Mordred said as tears still poured down her face, "I swear, if anything did, I will-" She was saying with anger filling her gaze, However, she stopped herself as she felt Diarmuid's right-hand move to her face. with the last of his life, he wiped away the tears on the left side of her face. Mordred was left speechless as he looked at her. his eye slowly closed again, his hand fell limp to his side, but he still smiled in his death, "Wha…" Mordred said as she was still in shock, her heart slow down, "What was that? Why did you do that!? Hey, Answer me!" She said, knowing still he could not respond, "…What did that mean just now?" she said before standing up, looking over the area. In the distance, she noticed a pair of tire tracks leading out of the destroyed town, "I will find you," The prideful knight said as her eyes focused. She ran over to Yang's motorcycle, hopping on as she followed the track, "You will know what that meant."

 **AN: There you go, things are getting crazy now. Diarmuid dies, but not before seeing Mordred. Everyone is on a mission now, but one more round of Grand Order must happen. That round will be a bit shorted than the last two, only being two chapters planned. However, it leads into the chaos that will be the final act of this story.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	69. Chapter 66 - Bite Back

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. It's time for the final round of Grand Order. This one has a lot of good moments between both combatants, some of my favorites for the respective characters involved. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 66 – Bite Back**

 _Rider._

Ruby walked down the narrow halls of the hanging garden, her Crescent Rose in hand, "So, you wish to find lancer right away?" Iskandar spoke in his student's mind, "An early alliance could be beneficial."

"I just want to know he wants from me so bad," Ruby said before a question popped into her mind, "Or is it a she?" She then shrugged before speaking out loud, "With any connivances, we should run into lancer pretty soon." Suddenly, the wall to Ruby's right busted open. The silver eyed girl jumped back to avoid any debris hitting her. As she readied her scythe, she noticed the smoke quickly settle. Walking out of the hole in the wall was the berserker of the round, "Huh, thought that was going to work." Ruby said under her breath.

"Oh, look who I found," Penthesilea said as she turned to Ruby, "The sister of that berserker from the prior round." She then grinned as she looked at her opponent, "This can count as part of my revenge against her."

"Her name is Yang, and why do you hate her?" Ruby clarified, "Is it because she beat you in a fight."

"It was a draw!" Penthesilea shouted back, her fists clenched, "And I hate her more than ever because she took my wish. I was going to beat Achilles in front of everyone, not her!"

"Why are you obsessed with that guy?" Ruby asked before having an idea, "Do you have a crush on him?"

"WHAT!?" Penthesilea said before her eyes turned a fiery red, "That is preposterous, I hate him!"

"Well, I think you like him." Ruby said with a smirk, "No, I think you looooove him."

"RAAAAAA!" Penthesilea screamed as she rushed Ruby, "I'LL KILL YOU!" The berserker queen then spawned her clawed gauntlets, slashing at the silver eyed girl. Ruby jumped back to avoid as Penthesilea continued her onslaught.

"Ruby," Iskandar said in her head, "What are you doing?"

"It's okay, I have a plan," Ruby said aloud as she dodged, "Yang told me about this trick a long time ago. She said if I ever had to fight a person physically stronger than me, I should get them so mad they can't think straight." She said as she jumped back again, Penthesilea still screaming, "That way, they lose all focus and becomes predictable to dodge. I just need to wait for an opening." Ruby the dodged out of the way of the queen berserk's right jab, causing Penthesilea fist to instead collide with the wall, "Now!" In the opportunity, Ruby lunged forward with her scythe reeled back.

However, as the scythe blade was heading towards her, Penthesilea jabbed it with her left hand. Despite her hand bleeding on the blade, the berserker queen grinned, her eye color returning to normal, "Except, you're not fighting your sister now." Penthesilea said as Ruby eyes widened in panic, "You're fighting me!" She said before yanking her right arm out of the wall, taking a large slab of stone wedged in the claw. Penthesilea slammed the slab of stone unto Ruby's skull, causing the silver-eyed girl to get thrown. The force of the impact knocked the blade out of Penthesilea, but Ruby still held onto her scythe as she hit the ground a few feet away.

Back in Chaldea, Medea and Glynda sat in one of the rooms dedicated for Grand Order. The professor from Beacon watched as a command seal vanished from Medea's hand, "Ordering a student to calm down," Glynda commented, "If only it was always that easy."

"I'm glad you are here to keep me company," Medea said to Glynda, "But, why are you not sitting with Iskandar?"

Glynda adjusted her glasses as she sighed, "In case Ruby does well, I do not want to risk that man snapping my back in the event of a sudden hug." She then looked back at the monitor, "Besides, this lets me better see how much she has grown in her time here." She said as Ruby slowly go up, a line of blood running down from her forehead, but a look of focus in her silver eyes. Glynda smiled before she realized something, turning back to Medea, "By the way, why are involved in this Grand Order?"

"Oh, if I win, I wish to go on a vacation with my family when my husband gets back." Medea responded as she looked at Penthesilea break the rest of the slab in her other hand, "And I do like her as a student." Medea said before smirked, "She reminds people just how threating girls can be."

Back in the Hanging Garden, Penthesilea flared her sharp teeth as she rushed Ruby. The silver eyed girl attempted to intercept with a scythe slash, but the queen berserker parried with her left claw gauntlet. Penthesilea attempted another jab with her right claw gauntlet aimed at Ruby's face. Ruby move her head out of the way, but one of the claws scraped against her cheek.

Ruby responded by trying to slash with her Crescent Rose, but Penthesilea jumped back. As Ruby continued to the offensive her opponent stayed close to the right way. Suddenly, in the middle of her slashes, her the tip of the scythe caught on the wall. Ruby gasped as Penthesilea lunged forward with both her claw gauntlets primed. Ruby gritted her teeth before she despawned her Crescent Rose, freeing it from the wall. Rather than moving back, Ruby repositioned herself as if she was holding a rifle. She then focused as she summoned her Crescent Rose again, now in its sniper from. She quick fired a high caliber round into Penthesilea's gut, sending her back a few meters down the hall. The queen berserker got back up, her eyes changed back to their fiery red.

"Well, that is one benefit of a multiform Noble Phantasm." Iskandar said to Ruby, "But you need a better environment to fight."

"Right," Ruby said as she despawned her weapon and ran, leaving a trail of rose petals behind.

"Hey!" Penthesilea shouted, "Get back here!" She shouted before running after her opponent. However, the queen berserker quickly realized she was unable to match Ruby's speed.

Ruby quickly made her way into an open and flat arena. She did not like the idea of fighter her opponent without cover, so she noticed the exit on the other side of the arena, making a break for it. However, she heard something cutting through the air as she ran behind her. Ruby glanced back, her eyes widening at the massive spike ball heading right for her. She quickly ducked as the weapon flew past her head, instead of colliding with the top of the exit gate. The damage it caused forced the ceiling to partially collapse, closing off her escape. Ruby's screeched to a halt before she could crash into the wall. She noticed the chain attached to the spike ball, leading back to Penthesilea, who was already destroying the only other exit to the arena with another spiked ball. Ruby summoned her Crescent Rose in its scythe form.

"Careful Penthesilea," Medea spoke to her student, "Ruby still has her command seal and her mount as a Rider class."

"That doesn't matter to me." Penthesilea declared before she rushed Ruby. The berserker queen pulled on the chain, recalling the spike ball that was closest to Ruby. The silver eyed girl dodged to the left before charging, launching herself with a shot fired in the opposite direction. She attempted to slash with her Crescent Rose, but Penthesilea blocked with her claw gauntlets. The two now locked in a close range.

"Now, call him!" Iskandar said with Ruby nodding. She then moved her right hand to her mouth, whistling. At that moment, Lobo spawned behind Penthesilea. The massive Greywolf already held Violet Gibbous in his mouth and was in mid-swing. Penthesilea quickly pushed Ruby back as she turned around, blocking the blade of Lobo's weapon. However, Ruby recovered quickly, rushing back towards Penthesilea. This time, the queen berserker could not block in time, the silver eyed girl managing a slash across her foe's back. Penthesilea flared her fanged before turning around, swinging her right arm wildly.

Ruby ducked back to dodge, causing Lobo to see an opening. The massive Greywolf resumed his attack, slashing Penthesilea in the back as well. Penthesilea turned again in anger, followed by another wild swing, resulting in another miss. The pattern continued with Ruby and Lobo dashing by the queen berserker, a slash accompanied by each passing. The two attacked in different intervolves against their opponent, but soon mirrored each other movement. Penthesilea was unable to follow their combined speeds. Each swipe she made missed, but every one of theirs was targeted, removing a chunk of her armor or leaving a gash against her skin.

Suddenly, Ruby jumped over Penthesilea and landed on Lobo's back. She and her mount looked at the berserker queen in a dizzy stance from far away. She then focused her gazed as she held onto Lobo's fur with her right hand. While her left hand held her Crescent Rose, lining it up with the Violet Gibbous in Lobo's mouth. Lobo then charged forward, his body glowing a blueish aura. Adding to it, I flurry of rose petals fell from Ruby's cap, giving off an almost purple hue to their combined attack. Penthesilea regained a bit of awareness, but only to see that the attack was coming at her, at that she was unable to dodge, "Try this one," The silver eyed girl said as she and Lobo succinctly reeled back their weapons, "Amethyst Eclipse!" Ruby declared before the two blades crashed into Penthesilea's chest, causing her to cough up blood from the impact. Ruby and Lobo's swing sent the queen berserker into the wall of the arena. The wall collapses with rubble falling on her body.

Lobo screeched to a halt as the aura around him faded. Ruby sighed before petting him on the head, "Congratulations Ruby," Iskandar said in a proud voice, "You just declared your first Noble Phantasm's by name."

"Thank you," Ruby said as she slightly blushed, "Lobo and I worked really hard to get the timing right." Ruby then looked at the pile of rubble, seeing it slowly move, "But, I don't like it wasn't enough." Ruby said as Penthesilea slowly stood up, her body battered and blood dripping from her wounds and mouth, "I don't think you should continue fighting in your condition."

Penthesilea giggled through her heavy breathing, her eyes back to normal, "Funny," She said as she held up her fist in a fighting stance.

"How is that funny?" Ruby asked.

"Because," Penthesilea said as Ruby noticed the chain around her right ankle, "You're going to feel a whole new kind of pain." Ruby then saw that the chain ran under her and Lobo, all the way back to one of the spiked balls. Suddenly, Penthesilea kicked her leg back with massive force, launching the spiked ball towards her.

Before she could give the order to move, the spiked ball violently crashed into Lobo's body. The massive Greywolf whaled in agony as Ruby was thrown off his body. She landed back on the ground, her eyes in shock of seeing the large circular gash in her mount's flesh. Lobo laid on his side in pain as his breathing was rapid, Violet Gibbous tossed far away from his body. At that moment, her silver eyes began to well up with tears. "Ruby!" Iskandar shouted her head, regaining her attention, "Look out!"

Ruby then turned to see Penthesilea swinging the spike ball by the chain. The queen berserker released it, launching her weapon towards her opponent. Ruby tried to block with her Crescent Rose, but the force of the impact knocked her scythe out of her hand, launching it a few feet away.

Ruby then turned back to see Penthesilea, her arms limp to her side and eyes closed, UU, UaaA..." The queen berserkers heavy breathing soon manifested into words, her body seeming being engulfed in a red flame, "Kill...Kill…KILL!" Ruby had heard Penthesilea say those words to her before, but this time was different. A shiver ran down her spine, a fear unlike any she had felt before, fear for her life. Suddenly, Penthesilea straining her stance, the fire erupting off her around her, her eyes returned to their fiery red and yellow, "Outrage," She yelled before lunging forwards at Ruby at a speed unseen of her before, "Amazon!" Penthesilea declared before unleashing a fury of close-range slashes with her claw gauntlets. Ruby tried to dodge as best she could, but her fatigue in this fight was showing. She evaded the first four swipes, but the next one grazed her right arm. The next one was a deeper cut across the left arm, followed by a slash at a diagonal across her stomach. She managed to evade the next one but put herself in line for a slash against her right leg. Followed by the left leg receiving the same treatment. Penthesilea then jumped back, her arms limp to her sides, "! ...UuuuUU," She seethed in anger as Ruby struggled to maintain her stance. The silver eyed girl realized her aura was near zero. Ruby then looked in horror to see the queen berserk lunge at her again, "uUUUUU!" Penthesilea screamed before grabbing Ruby's forearms, prevent the silver eyed girl from escaping, as she bit into Ruby's right shoulder.

"AAAAAAHH!" Ruby screamed as blood gushed out of her shoulder, the sound of her bones getting crushed against Penthesilea's teeth. She fell on her back, but Penthesilea still continued to chomp down, not wanting to let go until Ruby's would be teleported out. The queen berserk readjusted and bit down harder, causing Ruby to scream again, "AAAAAAAHHH!" She whaled with tears in her eyes, her right arm now felt numb.

Meanwhile, in an infirmary watching from a monitor, Achilles and Atalanta saw the carnage, "Yikes," Achilles said with slight wincing in his expression, "She looks like she is going to take Ruby's arm off."

"She'll be teleported away before that can happen," Atalanta commented as she heard Ruby scream again. The lioness faunus had a look of sadness start to fill her eyes as she watched, "Still, Ruby's just a kid. She shouldn't have to go through this much pain for a tournament."

Achilles then turned to Atalanta, "Has Penthesilea always been this brutal?" The young hero asked, "She wasn't this bad when I fought her."

"That's the thing, it's been getting worse ever since she lost to you," Atalanta responded, "She has been getting crueler with each battle lately." She then turned back to look at him, "I heard that in one fight, she ripped out a girl's eye. Luckily, it was able to be healed." She then looked back to the monitor, see Penthesilea's red eyes as she crunched Ruby's bones, "If she keeps up like this, the school will have to force her to change classes to reduce her Mad Enhancement. Or if she refuses that, they will just have to kick her out."

"They can't do that; it will make her go even crazier at the suggestion. It's not her fault she-," Achilles said before he realized something, turning back to the monitor, "…Is it my fault?" He said as he watched the rage in Penthesilea's eyes grow redder, "Did I put her on the path to becoming…" he said as Ruby screamed in agony, her blood splashing on Penthesilea's face, but the berserker queen's rage remained, "Sis?" Atalanta turned to see the look of horror start to form on Achilles' face, "What do I do?"

"Right now, nothing can be done on your end." The lioness faunus responded watching Ruby and Penthesilea, "It's up to those two to determine how this battle will conclude." She then turned towards Achilles, "If you want to change Penthesilea's methods, you have to figure that out for yourself."

Achilles had a look of confusion for a second, but then nodded, "Okay, I'll figure something out."

"…Also," Atalanta responded, "You should be there for Blake when she needs you." She responded with him having a look of confusion again, "She and I didn't get along as well as the others did in this transfer program." The lioness faunus said with a look of sadness in her eyes, "But, she's not going to make it on her own. Eventually, all that she is running away from will catch up with her." She then looked Achilles in the eyes, "When that happens, she will need someone to save her."

Suddenly, Achilles patted Atalanta on the back, "Don't worry," He said with a smile on his face, "I'll be there for her," he said with her smile, the two returning to the match. After a few seconds of silences, the young hero spoke back up, "Sis, thank you." He said with her smiling again.

Back in the Hanging Gardens, Ruby's vision was getting blurry, but she looked over to see Lobo still whimpering pain. The massive Greywolf tried to get up but fell quickly back to the ground. "Lobo…" She said as tears still ran down her face, then having an idea, "Professor Iskandar…can you hear me?"

Back at Chaldea, Iskandar watched in horror, "Ruby!" Iskandar said in a panic, "Don't worry, I will withdraw you from the match with my command seal."

"No!" Ruby interjected, "Heal Lobo with it." She said with the King of Conquers gasping, "I can't see him in pain like that…please."

"Ruby…" Iskandar said in an unsure voice, the first time she had ever heard him speak in such a way, "I don't know if it works that way."

"Please, try-" Ruby was saying, but was cut off by the sudden pain of Penthesilea biting down again, "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Ruby yelled in pain louder than before, her voice echo in Iskandar's mind.

"Damnit!" Iskandar said as he looked at this command seal, clinching his fist, "Let this work," He said before closing his eyes, "By my command seal, I lend my strength to Ruby's mount." He said before opening his eyes, seeing the command seal fade away.

Back in the arena, Lobo's eyes widened upon the sudden surge of power. He looked over to see his wound slowly recover, giving him the strength to get. However, he turned to the sound of Ruby's cries of pain. As the massive Greywolf spotted Penthesilea as the arbiter of Ruby's torment, his fangs flared in a rage, his eyes glowing in blue light.

Penthesilea readied for one more chomp onto Ruby, think that would be enough to finish her off now. However, the queen berserker's eyes widened. She felt a sharp pain on both sides of her waist. Penthesilea glanced back, discovering Lobo had sunk his teeth around her entire midsection. As he locked his jaw, Penthesilea screamed, "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She yelled, opening her mouth, and freeing Ruby from the bite. At that moment, Lobo lifted Penthesilea, thrashing with her still in his mouth.

In her dazed and blood lost state, Ruby interpterion of the events were blurry. To her, she saw what looked like her corgi Zwei playing with a new chew toy, the image giving her a slight giggle. In reality, Lobo was crashing Penthesilea's ribs one by one. He then tossed her into the air, only to bite her on the left leg. Penthesilea's body was being flung like a ragdoll bashing against the ground. After a few more seconds of torment, Lobo chucked the queen berserker into the arena wall. Her body embeds into the wall, her final groan of pain before she was teleported out of the arena. Lobo readjusted his stance before he howled.

Berserker Defeated.

Lobo then walked over to Ruby, who was trying to push herself up with her left arm. She could only proper herself halfway before realizing that was her limit. Lobo then walked over to Ruby's Crescent Rose, picking it up, and carrying it back to Ruby, "Thank you." Ruby said before she used her weapon as a crutch, "Well, you took her out, but I don't think I can continue." Ruby said before she looked at her right arm, blood still dripping out from her wound, "Any minute now, I will get teleported out for my own safety." She said before giggling, "Not exactly as good of a ranking as we were hoping. Right Professor Iskandar?"

"You did a great job," Iskandar responded, "Regardless of your placement, I know I made the right call choosing to train you." He said with Ruby smiling.

Suddenly, the wall behind Ruby exploded. She turned back in shock with Lobo snarling. Ruby quickly recognized that it was one of the exits Penthesilea had blocked off before but was now cleared by someone. The perpetrator walked out of the dust that was created, revealing to be the lancer of this round. "Well, I found you." Enkidu said to Ruby, "I would like to form an alliance for this Grand Order."

"Oh Enkidu, I almost forgot," Ruby responded as Lobo stayed at her side, "Sorry, I think I'm on my way out."

Enkidu noticed all of Ruby's cuts, especially the teeth marks on her arm, "That is a pretty serious wound, but I have an idea." the ambiguous lancer said before looking up. Suddenly, a crown made of green leaves and blue flowers descended on Enkidu's head. As it did, Ruby felt sudden healing energy, "Flower of Humbaba, an item I have with a particular healing effect to my allies."

"Wow!" Ruby said as she had some feeling return to her right arm, "But, why are you helping me?"

"You have something I want," Enkidu responded, "Or rather, the ability for me to see what I want."

"What?" Ruby responded before she knew the answer herself, "You want to see someone you lost with my reality marble?"

Enkidu nodded, "I had heard rumors, and you seem to have proven them true with that statement just now." The ambiguous lancer said before smiling, "If you use your reality marble on me, I will help you win this Grand Order to the best of my powers."

"But, don't you want to win?" Ruby inquired.

"I have nothing to wish for," Enkidu responded, "Except what you can grant me." He then glanced back down the hall, "Or, we can fight, and I will make quick work of you as I did with Caster."

"Caster?" Ruby said as she looked down the hall, seeing a book held in midair by a bunch of chains. Suddenly, the book vanished. Back in Chaldea, Nursery Rhyme feels on the floor, her eyes spinning in a daze. Jack stood next to her, helping her friend onto her feet.

Caster defeated.

"So, what will it be?" Enkidu offered.

"…Okay," Ruby said with a smile, causing Enkidu to have one as well, "You seem like a nice guy…gal…I'm going to do the thing now." She said before an awkward silence fell over the group.

"Ruby remember," Iskandar said in her mind, "You can only stay in a realty marble for ten minutes total by Grand Order rulings. I will not be able to communicate with you inside."

"I know, I know." Ruby said before she closed her eyes, "I'm just glad there will be no cameras on me in case I vomit." She commented before opening her eyes, a silver light encompassing the area. A few seconds later, Ruby's vision cleared up. Her stance was wobbly, but she had a small smile, "Wow, no vomit." She said in accomplishment, "Iskandar's training paid off in more ways than I thought." She said before she noticed Blanca walking over to Lobo, to the nuzzling each other. Ruby smiled at the sight, but then noticed something odd. A white wolf of normal size and stature was walking around, "Uhhhh…" Ruby said before looking to Lobo and Blanca, "Hey, did you two…" She asked with the massive wolves both staring blankly at her.

"It's good to see you again," Ruby looked over to see Enkidu talking to Wolf, "My friend."

"Friend?" Ruby said before piecing it together, "Oh, that makes so much more sense now."

"This is my friend, a wolf I rescued from Grimm Ursa in the woods many years ago," Enkidu said while petting Wolf, "The two of us were inseparable." The ambiguous lancer then had a small smile form, "It was the only creature to make Gilgamesh feel jealous, thinking Wolf was stealing his attention."

"Ah, that's cute." Ruby responded before she had a realization, causing her smile to fade, "What happen to Wolf?"

"…" Enkidu's smile faded, but continued petting Wolf, "Gilgamesh and I left on a long mission. When we returned, I learned my friend had fallen ill and died." Wolf then looked up at Enkidu, causing the smile to return as the ambiguous lancer moved his face closer to Wolf's, "You asked me what my wish was, Ruby. I simply wanted to see my friend again, one last time." Enkidu and Wolf's forehead touched, their eyes closing, "So, I could say goodbye."

Ruby smiled as she saw the two sharing the moment. Suddenly, she felt a tapping on her left shoulder. Upon turning around, she saw it was the girl with the red ribbon, "Oh, you're Sakura." Ruby said with her nodding, "Uh, what is it?" She asked with the apparition of Sakura placing her hand just over Ruby's right arm. Ruby saw the apparition of Sakura closer her eyes, causing a white wave of energy to expel from her hands onto Ruby's wound. After a few seconds, Ruby looked to see her injury nearly fully healed. The silver eyed girl moved her right hand, "Wow, all I feel is a little tingle now. Thank you." She said as the apparition of Sakura smiled. She then looked back to see Enkidu finish petting Wolf, a satisfied smile on both faces. Ruby then turned to see Lobo looking at her with focus, "Okay," Ruby said with a nod, "We're still in this Round." She said as she tightened her fists.

In the distance, the apparition of Summer Rose looked at the group. As she focused on Ruby, a smile formed on her face as well.

 **AN: There you go, a couple of fighters down, and a new alliance was formed. Penthesilea verses Ruby was a fight I wanted to do for a long time, especially the shoulder part, (Ruby was channeling a bit of Priestess at that moment if you know what that is from). Overall, it was a fun battle to write with Lobo and Iskandar showing how much they want to protect Ruby but know how strong she is on her own. I sadly skip Enkidu verses Nursery Rhyme for time reasons, but everyone knew how that fight was going to end. And Enkidu revels about the reason for allying with Ruby, (also, Enkidu and Wolf are ambiguous gender characters). Finally, we see a little of the benefits of Ruby's reality marble having certain people in it. Since Sakura was a lancer (i.e. Parvati), she had a healing skill to get Ruby to recover fast. With what I have planned, this round might be three chapters total, or I will make the next chapter extra-long for the conclusion of Grand Order. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**

 **Edit: I added a scene for Achilles and Atalanta in the middle here for more context in a later chapter. This isn't a retcon, just something I should have done from the beginning to strength a later moment.**


	70. Chapter 67 - End of Order

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one it is, the end of the final round of Grand Order. Thank you for all the support and patience with this story. I thought about splitting it up into two chapters, but I didn't want to end the battle anywhere in the middle. This one will mark the shift into the final phase of this storyline, be prepared with this ending. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 67 – End of Order**

 _Archer_

In the church section of the Hanging Garden of Babylon, Amakusa stood with three black keys in his between his fingers of his right hand. He looked the wall, seeing the assassin of this round Kato pinned by a couple of black keys. Her prosthetic forearms looked to have been ripped off, her body soon vanishing out of the arena.

 _Assassin Defeated_

"My, you had quick work of her." A voice called to Amakusa. He looked to see it was Cinder in her red dress outfit, smirk on her face as she walked into the church, "I believe that leaves only five fighters left this round."

"And are you planning to reduce that number to four," Amakusa responded with a smile, "Because I hadn't planned to take you out until the end." The student head of the church then rushed forward in a flash, the black keys aimed at Cinder's chin. However, Cinder deflected the stab, parrying the black keys with her own set of black keys in her right hand, "Oh, you do still have the ones I gave you." Amakusa said with a small smile. However, his eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his side. As he jumped back, he discovered a minor slash in the right side of his abdomen. Once landing a few feet away, he looked to see Cinder had a few more black keys in her left hand, "How did acquire more black keys than I gave you?"

"I traced the ones you gave me," Cinder said as she looked at the black keys in her left hand, "They were actually the tool is used in practicing that technique." She then recalled both sets of blades before crossing her arms, "For right now, I just want to make an offer." She said with Amakusa raising an eyebrow, "Form an alliance with me. If we work together and emerge as the last two in this round, I will give you my wish, even if I defeat you."

"Interesting," Amakusa responded as he recalled his black keys as well, "So you plan on fighting for your support's wish and not your own."

"Correct," Cinder said before speaking in her mind, "Though Iri, I wish you would tell me what it is you want."

"It's a secret," Iri said to Cinder. While the black-haired archer could not see the pale-skinned woman, she knew she was winking.

"I can understand that type of motivation." Amakusa responded, "I did have a wish before entering this tournament. However, I have decided to postpone it so that I may grant the wish of another professor. One who already last her chance at having her wish granted."

"How selfless." Cinder responded, "And who is she?"

"I could say her name, but she may become fluster and cause this whole garden to fall." He commented with a smirk. Back in Chaldea, Glynda and Medea sat in the staff lounge watching the conversation. Suddenly, they heard a cup breaking against the ground. The two turned to see Semiramis picking up the pieces. While they could not see her face, they noticed her long ears were redder than normal. Back in the arena, Amakusa looked back at Cinder with a smile, "In any case, a temporary alliance could help with the remaining competition."

"We can go after all three," Cinder responded before her eyes narrowed, "But I want to start with the Rider of this round."

"Any reason?" Amakusa inquired.

"Call it a personal grudge," Cinder responded, "And I think I know where we can find her." She said before turning around and walking, causing Amakusa to follow.

Amakusa smirked as he looked at Cinder, "Reliable allies are always a necessity, wouldn't you agree?" he said with her smirking as well.

A few minutes later.

On the top of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Ruby walked around in amazement. No longer was she walking the large halls and arenas but was outside gazing upon ruins covered in moss. She then walked over to see a field of flowers, "So this is 'garden' part of this place." Ruby said before looking back at Enkidu walking beside Lobo, "I never saw this part in any of the other rounds."

"Many rounds don't last long enough for people to make it up here." Enkidu responded, "It is also easy for a fighter to fall out of the arena here."

"I guess you're right," Ruby said before she felt a sudden gust of wind. She then noticed a few rose petals gliding across her face in the breeze but had not seen any roses in the garden before. She then looked back to see the garden to see Nero, holding a rose to her cover her mouth. As she sniffed the flower, the empress of rose glared at the silver eyed girl.

"I have found you," Nero said as she lowered the rose, "My nemesis."

"Uh…" Ruby said as she squinted, "Who are you again?"

"You forgot me!?" Nero responded as Enkidu slightly giggled, "I am Nero Claudius, the Empress of Roses, the only one who should have the skill Rule of the Rose." She then spawned her red saber and pointed it at Ruby, "Once I defeat you and win this round of Grand Order. I will force you to change classes until you lose that skill of yours."

"I'm not changing classes," Ruby responded, "If I did, Lobo might not like me anymore." She said the massive Greywolf growling at Nero. Ruby then had a thought as she looked at Lobo's anger towards the Empress of Roses, "Wait, if I could lose my rose skill. Could I lose my ability to call the reality marble? What would that mean for Lobo and Blanca?" She then focused on Nero, spawning her Crescent Rose, "I won't let yet you win." She declared to Nero.

"Ha," Nero smugly responded, "That is something not for you to decide." She then sniffed the rose again, "See my talent! Hear the thundering applause! Thus, praise! Golden The-" Nero was declaring up until an explosion cut her off. She and the others looked to the far side of the garden, seeing Cinder and Amakusa emerging from the smoke.

"Would you look at that," Amakusa commented to his ally, "It looks like we found all three right away." He then had a small smirk to Cinder, "A girl with an affinity for Roses would want to see the garden."

"Yes," Cinder said as she looked over to Ruby, seeing Enkidu next to her, "And it appears she made an alliance for this round as well."

"HEY," Nero responded to the two newcomers, "You interrupted my cool monologue." She said, but Cinder and Amakusa paid her no mind, causing Nero to grit her teeth in anger.

Enkidu looked over to see Ruby have a slight look of fear in her eyes, "You seem distraught at the sight of the archer of this round." Said the ambiguous lancer.

"Let's just say the last tag battle I was in against her didn't go so well for me." Ruby responded, "She is going to be hard to beat." She said as she noticed Cinder glaring at her.

Back at Chaldea Academy, Iri, Illya, and Chloe watched the monitor. Seeing the scowl on Cinder's face, "Man, she looks pissed." Chloe commented with her hands behind her head.

"Calm down," Iri spoke, but Cinder did not respond, causing the pale woman to sigh, "This could be a problem."

"It looks like a battle royal to decide the last round victory," Illya added on.

"Yeah," Chloe said before she had a smug look at Illya, "At least she is lasting longer than you did."

"Hey, I worked hard with Professor Hohenheim to get him to recommend me," Illya retorted, "You had to work hard just to have him not fail you out of chemistry." She said with Chloe scoffing. Suddenly, the red mantle girl's eyes widened with pain. Her body slightly recoiled before her breathing became sporadic, "Chloe?" Illya said in worry.

"What's wrong?" Iri said as she turned around.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Chole said in between her breathing. The other looked at her in confusion, until they noticed Chloe placing her hand on her stomach.

Back at the garden, an air of silence fell between the group as they glared at each other. After a few seconds more, the silence was broken. Cinder and Nero lunged at Ruby at the same time. The black-haired archer spawned her short swords in each hand, while Nero's sword glowed in a red-hot fire. However, each of their purists where interrupted. Lobo charged at Nero, spawning his Violet Gibbous. The two's blades collided with each other, each stopping the other's movements. Enkidu then dashed over to Cinder, unleashing a barrage of golden chains. Cinder backflipped to dodge but now found the ambiguous lancer standing between her and Ruby. "I heard you are pretty scary," Enkidu commented to Cinder, his arms out to his sides, "Let's see how scared you really are." Cinder gritted her teeth as she looked over to see Ruby sighing in relief.

However, Ruby soon realized someone else was heading for her. She looked over to see Amakusa rushing at her, three black keys in each of his hands. He chucked the ones in his right hand at her, but Ruby slashed them with her Crescent Rose. The student head of the church threw then another black key one at a time, but his toss caused them to spin like a like the hands of a clock. Ruby changed her weapon into its sniper form. She shot two of the black keys and let the third one pass over her head, "Set." He said, causing Ruby to gasp as she quickly turned around. The last black key had stopped its rotation, the handle placed against a purple glyph. It was aimed right at Ruby's back before firing at her before she could turn around. In response, Ruby quick fired a shot, aiming her weapon upside-down as she rested it on her right shoulder. The bullet destroyed the last black key as the shards went past Ruby's head. the silver eyed girl had a sigh of relief as looked over to Amakusa, who had a slight smile on his face as he stood a few feet from his opponent, "You act like you saw that last attack coming somehow."

"I have a friend who uses Glyphs also," Ruby's responded as she changed her weapon back to its scythe form.

"I guess I should treat my opponent from another kingdom as such," Amakusa responded as Ruby had a look of confusion. He then reached out his left hand, causing a sheath katana to spawn in his grasp. As he moved his right hand to the hand to withdraw the blade, a bolt of white lightning began to spark around his aura, "The hunters and huntresses you idolize seem to all have weapons that transform from one thing to another."

"That is kind of our thing," Ruby commented back, "Gives us versatility."

"True, but you lose the value that a simple sword can bring in one's hands." Amakusa responded as he looked at Crescent Rose, "With something like that, all you care about showboating it to the rest of the world than trying to save it from Grimm."

Suddenly, Ruby rushed Amakusa with a horizontal slash. He dodged with a back dash but noticed a look of slight anger in her silver eyes, "Look, you can mock me all you want, I can take it." She said before she readied for another swing, "But don't you dare mock Crescent Rose for being anything less than a huntress's weapon against Grimm."

"Those eyes," Amakusa thought as he looked at Ruby, "She too wishes for this world to have peace, even though it may seem impossible." He thought with a small smile forming, "Interesting." He then readied his sword in his right hand, "Let's see which one of us is closer to realizing that dream." Amakusa then rushed forward as Ruby swung her Crescent Rose, the two blades colliding.

Back to Cinder and Enkidu, the black-haired archer dodged the golden chains, gaining a good distance away from the ambiguous lancer, "I can't get near." She said as Enkidu smirked, unleashing more chains, "Iri, do you have any information on the lancer of this round." She said in her mind, but got no response, "Iri?"

"Oh, sorry Cinder." Iri said, slight worry in her voice, "It's just... forget it." Before Cinder could inquire more, Iri answered her first question, "Enkidu's chains are unbreakable. If they bind you here, its game over."

"So, these things are as strong of a defensive weapon as they are an offensive one." Cinder commented as she smirked, "But how strong is the actual body." She then looked to see three golden chains with a spearhead at the ends of them heading straight for her. Cinder jumped high into the air, chucking both her short swords at her opponent. Just as they were a foot away from the Enkidu, a golden chain pierced and destroyed both blades. However, the dust of the blades ignited in an explosion. While Enkidu avoids any damage, the sight of the opponent was clouded by the smoke. Once it cleared, Enkidu saw Cinder, who had already spawned a bow and arrow, fire the arrow at the ambiguous lancer. In response, Enkidu sent out a golden chain to intercept the arrow. However, once the arrow collided with the spearhead, it shattered like glass. As the shards fell, they glowed for a second before reforming into the arrow on target for Enkidu's head. The ambiguous lancer gasped before contact, a mid-sized explosion occurred as Cinder landed a few meters behind Enkidu. Once she turned toward the clearing smoke, she noticed Enkidu still standing. However, blood ran down from the top of Enkidu's forehead to the now shut right eye, "Is that scary enough for you?" Cinder said as Enkidu's teeth became grit.

Not too far away, Lobo snarled as he clashed with Nero, but ever one of his swings was parried by the Empress of Roses, "So you're the thing that gave Tamamo nightmares for a week straight." Nero as she dodged a vertical swing of Violet Gibbous, "It's too bad for you that I'm more of a cat person." She said as Lobo swung again, prompting her to spawn her circler shield in her left hand. In blocking his attack, Nero jumped back, taking out a rose again in her left hand, "Now, I am tired of having this interrupted, not anymore." She then closed her eyes as her body glowed in red energy, "See my talent! Hear the thundering applause! Thus, praise! Golden Theater!" She said before stabbing the ground with her sword, "Aestus Domus Aurea!" Nero declared before the entire arena around changed.

Instead of a rooftop garden, the remaining fighters discovered themselves in a golden theater. The plain was circler with four red carpets in a cross. Rose petals blew in the winds, "What is this?" Cinder said in confusion at the situation. Suddenly, her whole body pulsed in pain, causing her to fall to one knee, "What!" she said as she clenched her heart. She then looked over to see Enkidu doing the same. Amakusa and Ruby's stance were wobbly as Lobo struggled to keep a grip on his weapon.

However, Nero stood proudly, "Umu, this is my reality marble, my perfect stage." Nero answered the remained servants, "Here all my foes are weakened, while I receive every advantage on this battlefield." She then waved as she looked as she smiled, "It was with this that I won Grand Order last year. I used my wish to make it so this reality marble could be viewable for the public if I were to ever enter again."

Back at Chaldea, Iri, Illya, And Chloe watched. However, the red mantle girl was slightly sweating, "So, she busted out that overpowered move." Chole commented between her breaths, "Cinder might be done for."

"She would only have to last ten minutes before Nero would be forced to release them." Iri commented, "That is in the Grand Order rulings."

"But can she last that long?" Illya said before Chole bragged her chest her breathing now heavy, "Chloe, what's wrong!?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Chloe responded with a forced smile, her next comment was one she muttered to herself to hear, "Oh please, let it be nothing." She said, but Iri heard.

Back in the golden theater, Nero lunged at Ruby, her speed far greater than before. Ruby blocked the first slash, but the could not maintain her block for the following one. As she watched the blade approach. At the last second, Lobo ran over and tackled Ruby out of the way. However, the slash collided with his body instead, burning his fur and flesh. Ruby had a look of horror on her face at the sight of her injured mount.

Nero readied for another slash but heard footsteps from behind. She looked to see Amakusa approaching, his katana readied. However, Nero moved to block the hit with her shield, forcing Amakusa into a stunned state. The Empress of Roses the spin kicked him in the gut, launching him into a golden wall.

Nero then heard another approaching fighter. Turning to see Cinder, who spawned her lager sword than normal. The blade glowed white hot as she overheard swung it toward Nero. But Nero blocked with her own red sword, and in pushed back, broke Cinder's weapon. The Empress of Roses saw this opportunity and shield bashed Cinder, sending her into a golden wall.

Nero then heard chains coming at her, looking to see Enkidu launching a few. She jumped to dodge, the chains going to embed in the golden walls. Nero then landed on the chains, using then to run straight at Enkidu. The ambiguous lancer had no time to dodge as slashed a crossed the chest, sending Enkidu to land near Ruby.

"You see, this is the power only one with the Rule of the Rose can have," Nero said as she looked at Ruby, seeing her raise her scythe in a defensive stance. Nero readied to engage but noticed the arena had late her put all her opponents near one another, "And now, I will send you all back to Chaldea!" She said as Ruby noticed a large number of rose petals floating around her. Nero's red sword ignited more than before, the heat it radiated matching that of a volcano. She swung her sword, lighting all the roses on fire. Ruby, Cinder, Amakusa, Enkidu, and Lobo. All they could do was watch as their side of the golden theater was set ablaze with the swing of Nero's sword. In the eruption, Nero heard all the fights screaming in agony. After a few seconds, a plume of smoke was in front of her, "They are done for. Any second now, they will be teleported out. I will not only have defeated Ruby Rose but get the record for more combatants defeated in a single attack in Grand Order." Nero said with a nod, "Umu, this calls for a song."

As she opened her mouth to sing, she closed her eyes. However, just before they closed all the way, she noticed an arrow coming for her. in the last second, she held up her shield to block. Nero glared at the smoke as she gritted her teeth, "You know, its people like you that really annoy me," Cinder said as she walked out of the smoke, her outfit touched and soot on her skin. She looked around the golden theater, "This reality marble is pathetic, a testament to how much of an idiot you."

"Me an idiot," Nero angerly responded, "I have every advantage here!" Suddenly, a black key came out of the smoke and right for Nero's head. The Empress of Roses moved out of the way, but not before the key could make a small cut on her cheek.

As her eyes twitched, she looked to see Amakusa now walking out of the smoke. The upper half of his attire was burned off, his chest exposed his many cuts and scars, but his right hand still gripped his katana, "Just because you have every advantage, doesn't mean you're guaranteed to win." Amakusa said as smirked, "All you really did was give yourself a large handicap in this fight."

"He's right," Cinder added on, "In this game, you have no skill. You just put in a cheat code to make yourself feel better." She then crossed her arms, "As I said, pathetic."

"And what's wrong with that!?" Nero angerly replied, "If I still win in the end, what does that matter?" She said as Cinder rushed her, creating a large sword like before. Nero responded in kind, rushing to match her blade for blade like before. And like before, Nero's red sword cut through Cinder's, but also embedded in the black-haired archer's shoulder.

Nero smiled at the battle going her way again, but then heard laughter coming from Cinder, "Because I know that is not a true victory," Cinder said as blood dripped down the corner of her mouth, her right eye glowing with a yellow fire, "You don't win because you overpowered the enemy, you win because you outplayed them. Otherwise, they will keep coming back." She said with a look of confusion in Nero's eyes. Suddenly, the Empress of Roses felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down to see that Cinder had plugged the broken blade into her abdomen. As Cinder let go of the blade, it exploded.

Nero screamed as she was thrown back, her heels dug into the carpet for. As she glared at the smoke cloud, her eyes widened as she saw someone jump thought. Though she was expecting Cinder, it was Amakusa who was now on the offensive. He lunged through the air, his blade slashing Nero in the left shoulder before landing a few feet behind her, "I would watch what you say around Cinder," Amakusa said in a casual tone to Nero. As the smoke cleared, Cinder's eye glowing bright, "She is one crazy lady." He said before lunging at Nero, Cinder responding in kind from the other angle, spawning another sword in her hand. The Empress of Rose blocked both charges with her shield and sword, but the look of confidence in her movements was noticeably lacking now.

Back in the Chaldea staff lounge, Medea and Glynda continued to watch the fight. The professor from Beacon sighed as she watched, "This may not end well for her." Glynda said as she saw Nero struggle to keep up with the two, "I tried to show her that, while the battlefield can be used as an important asset to win, you must also consider who your opponent is and their relation to the battlefield."

"Nero always sees herself as the center of attention," Medea commented, "She forgets sometimes that others can exist who rival her abilities." Medea then crossed her arms, "And while that reality marble can beat most foes, there is a certain type it won't." She said as she watched Amakusa and Cinder slash across Nero's back causing the Empress of Roses to fall to one knee, "Those are enemies with more resolve that Nero could ever dream of."

"Yes," Glynda said before the screen focused on Amakusa and his shirtless body. in the background, she heard another glass cup shattering. Glynda looked back to see Semiramis, again picking up the pieces, again with her ears slightly red. Glynda had a look of confusion before shrugging and returning to the screen, seeing the rest of the smoke from Nero's initial group attack clear.

Back in the Golden Theater, the smoke cleared to reveal Ruby coughing. She held onto Lobo but soon discovered that either of them was not too badly burnt. She then looked forward to seeing Enkidu standing in front of her, the ambiguous lancer's body acted as a shield for the two. Enkidu's back was scorched, and the white robe was nearly burnt off, "Enkidu!" Ruby said as she looked at Enkidu's struggling to stand, "Why?"

"We are still in an alliance, right?" Enkidu said with a smile, "Around a month ago, I failed a test about the value teamwork against a powerful foe." Enkidu said before remembering the battle with Pyrrha and Mercury, "This time, I wanted to play the role of a team player." Enkidu then fell to one knee.

"Enkidu!" Ruby said in panic before she felt her whole body pulsate in pain from the golden theater, "Oh no, we can't take any more of this." Ruby thought as sweat ran down her face, "Think Ruby, how can we get out of this reality marble?" Suddenly, she had an idea.

Not too far away, Nero was pushed back as Cinder and Amakusa readied for another assault, "Damnit, it can't end like this, not in my own reality marble." Nero thought as her breathing was heavy, "But if I recall my Golden Theater, it is the same as me giving up." She then looked over to see Ruby next to Enkidu and Lobo, her eyes closed, "That girl can't even look at me now, who does she think she is!?" Nero said as her eyes flared with rage, "If I go down, I'll at least take her out first!" Nero said before Rushing towards Ruby, Cinder, and Amakusa attempting to follow. However, Ruby opened her eyes, revealing a silver light. The light then expanded over the area, encapsulating everything. It then faded in a flash, leaving nothing left in the golden theater. Nero was blinded by the light for a second but opened her eyes to discover herself in a white void.

"What is this?" Amakusa said as he looked around the area.

"This is that girl's reality marble," Cinder responded to him, her eyes glaring at Ruby.

"Oh, I think I understand now why you detest her so." Amakusa commented before he looked at his arms, "But, we can thank her for getting us out of that Golden Theater. I can already feel my strength returning."

"Ruby, you used a reality marble in another reality marble," Enkidu said in shock, "How did you know this would work?"

"Easy," Ruby responded, "I did that before." She said with Enkidu slightly chuckling. Ruby then wobbled before falling to one knee, hold her head in pain, "Oh, using this twice in one day. I feel like I'm going to-" Ruby said before her cheeks puffed, but she swallowed it back down, "Yuck, that was close."

"She even has a reality marble!?" Nero commented in shock, before examining the area, "Well, at least mine if far more elegant and refined." She said with a nod, "Umu, this one has literally nothing in it." Suddenly, she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. As Nero turned around to see who it was, her eyes widened in sight of the apparition. It was a teenage male wearing an all-white robe and shoes. His hair was white but had a slight brownish hue to it. He had a warm smile as he looked at Nero with his brown eyes, "Hakuno…" Nero said in shock.

"Who is that?" Cinder asked Amakusa.

"Oh, that is a name I haven't heard in a while." The student head of the church responded, "He was Altera's boyfriend. However, rumors floated around that Nero had a crush on him as well." Amakusa then put one hand to his chin, "But he is supposed to be dead, why is he here?"

"Not important to us right now," Cinder said before she looked over to Ruby, "We should focus on eliminating Rider before she can call on someone worse."

"You speak from experience," Amakusa commented, but cinder did not respond, "Very well, as you command."

"Oh no," Ruby said as she saw Cinder and Amakusa heading straight for her, "Looks like they got pulled in also."

"Ruby…" The sliver-eyed girl looked over to see Nero calling to her, but her face still to the apparition of Hakuno, "Why am I looking at this?"

"Nero," Ruby responded with some remorse in her voice, "I have the ability to show people someone from their past that they lost."

"…" Nero said through her teeth as she lighted her grip on her sword, "I loved him, but I never got to tell him. I could never tell the members of my team, especially Altera. In the end, he lost his life to life to Grimm."

"Well, now you can," Ruby said with a slight smile, walking towards Nero. Enkidu and Lobo looked over to Ruby but could only watch.

However, Nero responded as she turned to Ruby. The Empress of Roses' eyes glared at Ruby as tears poured down her face, "This is not the same thing!" Nero shouted with Ruby in shock, "You can't play with people's emotions like this, it's sick, it's inhuman!" She then pointed her sword at Ruby, "You're a monster worse than Grimm!" She said with Ruby's eyes widening in horror, "Now, I have one more reason to win. To forbid you from ever using this reality marble again!" Before Ruby could react, Nero rushed her, her red sword already aimed at Ruby's chest.

However, something collided with Nero's sword, preventing it from cutting Ruby. The Empress of Roses gritted her teeth, seeing a scythe wielded by a white clocked woman with silver eyes glaring, "Mom!" Ruby's said before the apparition of parried Nero's strike, pushing her back.

"Damnit, too late." Cinder said as she before remembering the feeling of that blade around her neck, turning to Amakusa, "Don't focus on the one in white, if we take out Ruby, the reality marble with fade after she is eliminated."

"Understood," Amakusa responded. However, he then noticed something in his path. Standing before him were two white wolves, one much larger than the other.

Cinder continued to run but soon found someone appears in front of her now. The apparition of Sakura stood in her path, wielding an odd spear with a U-shaped head. Cinder had a look of anger, as she spawned a spear of dust, "So, you're here as well."

Back to Nero, she tried to slash at the apparition of Summer. However, the white-cloaked huntress dodged each attack. Once Nero tired an overhead swing, the apparition of Summer sunk into the voided ground. The Empress of Roses' blade collided with the floor, unable to break through. Nero then looked to see the apparition of Summer appear behind her, slashing her in the back with her scythe. Nero's blood gushed from her body, sinking into the void below. Her stance wobbly, she quickly turned around to unleash a vertical slash.

However, the apparition of Summer dodged again. This time, she jumped onto Nero's blade, standing on it as she looked down at the Empress of Roses. Before Nero could move her blade or set it ablaze, the apparition of Summer imbedded her scythe into Nero's right shoulder. She dropped her sword as the white cloaked huntress front-flipped, her scythe ripping through Nero's flesh. The Empress of Roses fell face first onto the ground, while the apparition of Summer landed on her feet.

"Incredible," Enkidu commented, "Her skill is on a completely different level to Nero's." The ambiguous lancer then heard wolves barking, turning to the sight of Wolf and Blanca against Amakusa. The student head of the church tried to cut them with his katana, but they avoided by hiding in the white void, his blade bouncing against something he could not see. Wolf rushed Amakusa, the fangs sank into his right forearm. Amakusa flinched in pain, causing him to drop his sword. However, he grabbed it midair with his left hand. attempting to stab Wolf. Enkidu's eyes filled with dread, wanting to intervene, but the body recoiled in pain from the damage the ambiguous lancer had sustained. Suddenly, Blanca appeared behind Amakusa, biting him in the left forearm, stopping his assault.

Enkidu sighed in relief, looking at Lobo with a small smile. The two then looked over to see Ruby's eyes focused on the fight between Summer and Nero, "Mom…" Ruby said, this being the only thing on her mind, "I haven't seen her in action for so long." She said with a small smile forming, "She is so cool." She said with Nero getting up again, but the apparition of Summer had a focused glare on her opponent.

With nobody else watching them Cinder and the apparition of Sakura clashed weapons. Neither person could land a decisive hit as they matched blow for blow. Cinder they tired a vertical swipe, but the apparition of Sakura dodged with a back dash. She then raised her U-shaped lance up, the head began to vibrate like a tuning fork. The sound waved echoed through Cinder's body, her eyes pulsating in pain. She looked down to see her spear being to crack. The apparition of Sakura then aimed her lance at Cinder, electricity storing in the U. Suddenly, she unleashed a beam of white lightning at her opponent.

In reaction, Cinder tossed her spear at the lighting, her weapon exploding as it absorbed the damage she would have taken. The smoke then covered the area around the apparition of Sakura. With the swing of her lance, she fanned away all the smoke. However, she discovered that Cinder was gone. Suddenly, she heard a bow being strung from above. The apparition of Sakura looked up to discover Cinder, an arrow already drawn. The black-haired archer fired, the arrow traveling and pierced the apparition of Sakura through the heart. While no blood spilled, the looked of pain in her eyes said how lethal the hit was.

Cinder landed on the floor as the apparition of Sakura feel to her knee, dropping her weapon, "Well, it is possible to kill one of these things," She said as she approached the apparition of Sakura. Cinder despawned her bow, looking down at her foe, "Well, I could predict Archer was not going to like what I had done to BB." She said before placing her right hand on the apparition of Sakura's cheek, "He's going to hate me for doing this." Cinder then had a slight smile on his face, "But, this will put an end to you once and for all in his mind." Slowly, the apparition of Sakura looked up at Cinder, a warming smile on her face. Her mouth moved as if she was saying something, but no sound came out, "What?" Cinder said in confusion. Suddenly, the apparition of Sakura started to fade into a cloud of white dust. However, the particles blew over onto Cinder. The black-haired archer had a look of confusion, as she had not done anything yet cause this. Abruptly afterward, Cinder's body pulsated. She screamed as she fell to her knees, holding her stomach. Uncontrollably, she vomited a black slime into the white void below, "What did she do to me?" Cinder said with her breathing heavy, "...and why did she say, 'Thank you.'" Cinder said before the black tattoo on her back disappeared. She then pushed herself up as she looked over to Amakusa.

Back to Amakusa, he shook off both wolves but saw himself cornered between them, "This has gone on long enough," He said before he despawned his sword, he held his arms to his side as a purple aura radiated off his body. The other watching in confusion of what was coming next, "Heaven's Feel begin." Amakusa then began to hover as two orbs of light gathered in his hands. In his right hand, the light was a chaotic black and purple. In his left hand, the orb was a calming white and blue. "An end to all things." He said before reeling both arms back, "Twin Arm Big Crunch!" Amakusa declared before launching both orbs into the void below. As they flew through the white space, they soon collided with each other. The resulting merger unleashed an expanding black void that began to over everything.

Wolf and Blanca ran away, but Enkidu and Lobo were still too weak to move. Hakuno watched as the black void passed over him, his body disintegrated into dust, "Ruby, get us out of here!" Enkidu asked Ruby. However, her silver eyes filled with panic as she saw the blast wave approaching.

Suddenly, the apparition of Summer looked over to Ruby moving to stand in-between her and the black void. The white cloaked huntresses' eyes glowed silver, its light expanding to match the size of the back void. As the two meet, the energy's grinned against one another. Everyone shielding their eyes from the light and shockwaves, but Ruby tried to keep sight of everything, "Mom!" Ruby called thought the cacophony of noise created from the crashing energies. The apparition of Summer looked back a Ruby with a small smile on her face. In a flash, the whole area was covered in a silver light that blinded all.

Once Ruby had regained her sight, she discovered herself back on the rooftop of the Hanging Gardens. She looked over to see Enkidu and Lobo next to her. In the distance saw Amakusa landing back on the ground, Cinder walking over to him. Nero was nearby as well; her body faces first into the bed of flowers. "We're back!" Ruby said in shock.

"Ruby what happened!?" Iskandar said in her mind, "You were almost in your reality marble for eight minutes."

"I…" Ruby said before she remembered, turning to Lobo and Enkidu, "What happened to my Mom!?"

Lobo had a somewhat deadpan look, but Enkidu knew what he meant, "I believe she and the other wolves are fine." Enkidu translated, "Lobo has a scene they still exist in your reality marble, but he cannot feel that one girl and guy anymore."

"Oh," Ruby said in slight shock, relaxing something about Enkidu, "Wait, you can understand him?" She said with Enkidu nodding with a smile.

"Ruby!" Nero called to the silver eyed girl, prompting herself up with her red sword, "This isn't over, I will still beat you." Even though her stance was wobbly, she had a look of focus in her eyes, "You will pay for everything you did to me!" Suddenly, she saw a short sword land in front of her, the blade glowing hotter and hotter, "…What?" Nero said before the sword exploded, sending her flying back into the air. As she screamed in pain, she realized she was thrown over the edge of the garden, falling out of beyond before teleporting to her own safety.

 _Saber eliminated by ring out._

Ruby had a look of confusion before looking over to Cinder and Amakusa, the black-haired archer's right hand still in the throwing motion, "That was all I could take of her whining."

"Agreed," Amakusa added on before noting his arms shaking, "My plan worked, but I am afraid I am at my limit." He then looked over to see Cinder in a similar state, "As are you."

"Iri, I need you to use the command seal to heal me." Cinder spoke in her mind, but had no response, "Iri, what's wrong!?" She asked, but bot no answer right away.

Suddenly, Iri spoke back her voice stressed, "Cinder, this is bad!" Iri said in a panic, "Please, get back here quick!"

"Calm down Iri," Cinder responded, "I can win this right now, but I need you to-" Suddenly, Cinder noticed the spearhead of the golden chains heading for her. She jumped out of the way but gritted her teeth at the inability to finish her thought.

Enkidu was moving on the offensive with Lobo. While Ruby rushed Amakusa again. The student head of the church spawned his sword again, blocking Ruby first strike. As he fell back, his breathing became heavier trying to maintain his stance. Ruby slightly lowered her weapon as she looked at him, "This doesn't seem fair anymore." She said as she looked at him.

Amakusa had a slight smile on his face, "You are a kind soul to worry about me like that." His words caused Ruby to smile back. Suddenly, Amakusa rushed Ruby, aiming to stab her in the head. Ruby panicked in her dodge while avoiding the interned target, her cheek was cut along with a few hairs. She looked back to see Amakusa looking at her with a somewhat serious gaze, "But it is that type of kindness that can get you killed on the battlefield." Ruby then turned to swing her scythe at her opponent, but Amakusa dodged while throwing his sword into the air, "Set." He said katana was held in place by a purple glyph, aimed at Ruby. Suddenly, the katana plunged towards her.

Ruby dodged left to avoid it but lost sight of Amakusa for a second. She then looked behind to see him reeled back his right arm for a punch. Ruby quickly found herself heading for him, unable to avoid the hit. However, she readjusted herself ready to swing her scythe at Amakusa. A few seconds before impact, Amakusa started to unleash his punch. Ruby gritted her teeth as she tried to match his timing to strike him when he got close. At the last second, Amakusa smirked, "Set." He said before a purple glyph appeared on the back on his right fist, causing his who body to lock in place. And where it locked up was just outside of Ruby's swing, causing her to miss. As she gasped in the revelation that she left herself wide open, the purple glyph sent Amakusa's fist rocketing into Ruby's gut.

The speed of the punch recoiled on his arm, Amakusa winced as he felt his bone's break and dislocated his shoulder. But for Ruby, the damage was much worse. The punch had shattered the lower part of her ribcage, as well as her internal organs feeling like they were turned to mush. The resulting impact sent Ruby flying across the sky, while Amakusa held his right arm in agony. Ruby flew through the sky as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

However, she opened the wide when she realized she was about to be declared out of bounds. Her right hand still on her Crescent Rose, she changed it to her sniper from and fired in the opposite direction she was flung. The change in a moment shook her entire body, but she fired again. After another shot, Ruby headed back to the edge of the garden. She changed her weapon back to its scythe form, hooking the edge of the wall as she dangled over her, still in the arena.

"Huh, that must be the versatility she spoke of," Amakusa commented as his left arm grasped his right shoulder. He screamed in pain as he lodged in back into place. Amakusa then turned to see Cinder against Lobo and Enkidu.

Cinder continued to dodge the combined attacks but soon found Lobo lunge to bit her. In a quick motion, she created a small pole made from dust. She stuck it vertically in Lobo's mouth, locking his jaw. The massive grey wolf thrashed as he was unable to get it out, causing Cinder to jump back to avoid getting hit. Once she landed, she realized she was at the edge of the garden. She then looked back to see Lobo rushing to tackle her off. His body collided with the black haired, pushing both over the edge, "No, it's not over yet." Cinder said as she grabbed the small pole out of Lobo's mouth. She then used him as a springboard to jump off towards the edge of the garden. As she reached her the edge, the pole morphed into a hook, catching her on the edge.

Lobo continued to fall before getting teleported away. He landed in Iskandar's room a look of disappointment in his eyes. The King of Conquerors the walked over to Lobo, petting him on the head, "It's okay," he said to the massive grey wolf, "Leave the rest to them."

Back in the garden, Cinder tried to pull herself over the edge but looked up to see Enkidu a golden chain already aimed at her. As she gritted her teeth in fear of the end, Enkidu felt a sharp pain in the back. The ambiguous lancer then looked to discover a katana pledged into the right shoulder. Enkidu then looked to see Amakusa, his left hand just lowering from throwing his weapon, "Huh," Enkidu said with a small smile, the eyes closing, "How anticlimactic." The body then fell over the edge of the arena, falling towards the out of bounds.

Amakusa then walked over the edge, looking down at Cinder with a smirk, "As I said," he said as he reached down his right hand to her, "Reliable allies are always a necessity." Cinder smirked as she reached to grab his hand. However, both heard the clinking of chains. Amakusa then looked at his right leg, seeing a golden chain coiled around it. as he looked down, he saw Enkidu still falling, but a smile was on the ambiguous lancer's face as well. Suddenly, the chain went taut, pulling Amakusa over the edge. He was never able to grab Cinder's hand before falling out of bounds with Enkidu.

 _Lancer eliminated by ring out._

 _Ruler eliminated by ring out._

Cinder looked down with shock at the loss of her ally. She pulled herself over the edge back in the garden, her breathing heavy. She then looked at her right hand, her vision bluff. In gritting her teeth, she created a single short sword. However, the frame was cracked and barely stable, "This is all the dust I have left." She said to herself before she looked over to her left, seeing someone else getting over the edge.

In the distance, Ruby pulled herself over the edge as well. The silver eyed girl coughed blood as she tried to stand. Once she did, she noticed Cinder doing the same, "It's just us now." Ruby said to herself but could tell Cinder knew what she said. The two started walking towards one another, their eyes focused on their opponents' movements. Suddenly, the two began to run towards each other. Ruby tightened her grip on her Crescent Rose, while Cinder put both hands on her short sword. The closed in on each other, both knowing this was their last attack in Grand Order. In the last step, Cinder plunges her sword for in a stab, while Ruby attempted a horizontal slash.

However, something unexpected happened. Ruby's slashed missed, but Cinder's attack never went off. In fact, the black-haired archer was nowhere in sight. Ruby looked around the garden in confusion, the only one left standing in the garden. Back in Chaldea, Cinder found her self teleported back to a room. A look of confusion her face as before she looked at the monitor, seeing what the reason was.

 _Archer withdrawn._

"Iri, you pulled me out of the Grand Order?" Cinder said before turning around, "Why would you-" Suddenly, she stopped her sentence upon realizing the situation. Iri and Illya knelt on the ground, while Chole laid on her back. Her body was covered in sweat as she screams in pain, "Oh no, Chloe!" Cinder said as she knelt near her.

"She's been getting worse ever since the last phase of Grand Order." Iri answered in dread, "She didn't want to leave the room and miss your match, but she won't stop screaming now." Iri then turned to Cinder, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, I couldn't focus on you when she was in this much pain."

"What is happening to her!?" Cinder said before she noticed the symbol on Chloe's stomach. It glowed redder than ever before. Cinder's eyes then widened when she remembered what Chloe told her a while ago, "Archer…" Cinder said as in terror at the realization of what this pain meant.

Back in the Hanging Garden, Ruby had a look of confusion still, "Professor Iskandar, what happened to Cinder?"

"Her supporter…withdrew her?" Iskandar responded in confusion, "That normally isn't allowed in the final two fighters unless it's via a command seal."

"If she had a command seal left, why didn't she heal herself?" Ruby said before she heard a loud explosion. She turned to look over the distance, seeing the clouds part as a large black pillar of energy pierced the sky. While it was miles away, the Ruby still feel the blast wave pass over her skin.

"What was that!?" Iskandar said in a panic as Ruby had a realization.

"Professor Iskandar…" Ruby said as her arms fell limp to her side, "The town Blake, Ren, and the others went to fix…" She said as tears filled her eyes, "Which direction was it in?" She asked, but Iskandar was in stunned silence. Despite that, Ruby already knew the answer, falling to her knees as she saw the pillar of black energy expand.

 **AN: There you go, the round ends with Ruby that last one standing. However, her battle is not over yet. Cinder got the raw end of the deal here and had something happen to her inside Ruby's reality marble that is bound to make a certain someone unhappy. Next chapter we are going to see what exactly happened in the fishing town that caused Ruby to see what she saw. There is going to be chaos, so be prepared.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	71. Chapter 68 - The Sunken March

**AN: Hey everyone, I got the next chapter here. This is the one where you find out what happened at the fishing town, and it is not pretty. Thank you for all the support on this story and please check out the Tv Tropes page of it, it has had a lot of hard work put into it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 68 – The Sunken March**

 _Moments earlier._

 _Blake_

In the fishing town, men and woman worked to rebuild after the event. Carpenters and construction workers filled the streets, with Gawain conversing with the project managers. The members of Chaldea all helped in the reconstruction. Medusa and Altera helped to retile a roof, while Ren and Okita helped rebuild a brick wall. Near the body of water, Blake sat at the end of the dock, a smile on her face as she looked at the water ripple with the wind. Sitting next to her was Cu Chulainn, a red fishing pole in his hands with a line cast out. Walking up to the two from the dock was Archer, a look of annoyance on his face, "Quiet Archer." The blue lancer said without giving the Archer the chance to make the first move, "We're on break, and neither of us goes here often, and I like to fish."

"It can be therapeutic," Blake commented as she watched the water, seeing what looked like small bass as sunfish swim by. Her eyes gleamed as a small bit of saliva form in the corner of her mouth. She then snapped herself out of her trance, turning back to Archer, "Sorry, was there something you wanted to tell us."

"Only that the fourth round has been going on for a while now," Archer spoke, "That's the one with your leader in it."

"Oh yeah, Ruby," Cu Chulainn commented as he focused on fishing, "I don't know about Iskandar recommending her, it seems like a risky choice at this stage in her training."

"She still beat you," Archer said as he crossed his arms. Cu Chulainn turning back to glare at him, but Archer turned back to Blake, "Anyway, I'm sorry you can't watch the fight. Broadcasting between here to the academy has always been an issue, even before the attack a month ago."

"It's okay, at least I know Ruby is up now," Blake commented before her cat ears twitched.

Suddenly, the fighting line went taut, Cu Chulainn almost losing his grip on it, "Wow, I think I hooked a big one!" He said before standing up, a grin on his face, "Hey Archer, think you could cook this thing up after I feel it-" Suddenly, something at the end of the line jumped out of the water. It was a not a bass, rather a massive black starfish with some sort of red needles and white fangs. The creature lunged at the blue-haired lancer, who was still stunned at what it was.

However, Blake spawned her Gambol Shroud, cutting the starfish in half with her cleaver. The Two pieces fell in the water as Blake turned to Archer, "What type of Grimm was that thing?" She said in a panic.

"The type that shouldn't be here." Archer answered before he looked back at the water, seeing a few bubbles at the surface, "Get ready!" He announced before two more of the starfish Grimm jumped out. Archer spawned his box and quickly shot one.

Cu Chulainn threw his fishing pole like a javelin impaling the other one. As the starfish fell back into the water, he then noticed more bubbles starting to form and fog start to roll in over the lake, "Well, break time is over." The blue-haired lancer said before spawning his Gae Bolg, "Blake, inform Gawain and the others." He said with her nodding, running off to the town. Archer then took fire at one of the Grimm starfish the second it appeared. He then looked towards the fog, his eyes focused as he noticed someone standing in the middle of the water.

Blake ran through the town in search of the others and Gawain. However, she stopped upon the sound of a massive crashing to the right side of town. Her eyes filled with panic before she ran over, the civilians running in the opposite direction, "Get to your homes, get to safety!" Blake announced as she ran by the people. Arrived to see a type of Grimm in the sky, one that resembled a ghost in a cloak, "What is a Geist doing here!?" Blake said as the Grimm noticed her, rising it's one arm to her. Suddenly, it fired a blast of black energy at her.

Blake dodged out of the way, but then noticed Ren and Okita fighting more of the Geist, "Oh boy," Okita said as she blocked a blast with her sword, "Where did these things come from?"

"I don't know," Ren said as he shot at the Geist to keep them at bay, but soon noticed their heavy disadvantage, "We need to fall back, now!" However, as he turned around, he met someone he did not expect, the woman in the wedding dress, wielding her giant mace, "Fran!?" he said before he lowered his guns, "When did you-"

Suddenly, Fran reeled back her mace and swung it into Ren left abdomen. His eye widened in pain as his ribs shattered. His body flung into the wall he was just rebuilding, crashing through and laying in the pile of bricks. He lifted his head up to look at Fran, now noticing the cold stare that was in her eyes unlike what he had seen before. It was then that he knew it was not Fran, not the Fran he knew. His head fell back before he lost consciousness.

"Very good," a voice called to this Fran, revealing it to be Victor, his arms behind his back. Victor then looked over to see Okita and Blake still in shock at what just happened. He then focused on Okita exclusively, "Her next."

"Yes Father," This Fran said in a monotonic voice, the speech pattern, unlike the other Fran. She then walked over to Okita.

Victor smiled as he turned to Blake, "As for you," he said before raising his right hand, pointing at Blake. At that moment, all the Grimm Geist focused on Blake. The black cat faunus looked to see a hail of energy blast heading for her. She jumped back to dodge, trying to release a shadow clone to sway their attacks, but to no avail.

As Blake retreated, she looked back to Okita against this Fran. The mace failed to contact Sakura Saber dodged each blow. She was to fast for this Fran to hit her, leading to an opening. Okita began to rush forward, appearing and disappearing in the blink of the eye. Suddenly, she leaped in front of this Fran ready to strike.

However, a gunshot was heard as this Fran and Okita had a look of pain fill their eyes. This Fran looked down to see a bullet hole in her stomach, the entry wound from her back. She turned to see Victor holding a pistol, smoke till emanating from the barrel, "Father…why?" This Fran said before her body fell over to its side.

"You bastard!" Okita said to Victor before she fell to one knee, her right hand on her stomach. The bullet that passed through this Fran had lodged itself into her abdomen now. In a sudden shock, Okita vomited blood with tears forming her eyes, "No, not now." She thought as Victor walked over to her, causing her to look up with her teeth grit, "That was your daughter!"

"Your confusing that homunculus for my child," Victor said before turning to one of the Geist in the sky. The Geist then dove to this Fran on the ground, implanting itself in the body. Suddenly, this Fran began to rise again, "This thing is just a vessel, an empty shell." He turned to this Fran, "But, it is still superior to my monster of a daughter."

"Yes Father," This Fran responded, "I am the one to kill the false Frankenstein."

"Wait, what did she just-" Okita was saying until, Victor smacker her across the face with his pistol, knocking her out. Once Victor was looked up, he saw Blake in the distance, a look of fear in her eyes before she ran. The Geist was about to follow, but Victor raised his hand, hauling their movement.

"This is bad, this can't be happening," Blake said as she ran through the streets, "I need to find-" Her thought was then interrupted once she heard a loud crashing sound. Her body halted as she tried to pinpoint where it came from. Suddenly, the house to her right collapse as Altera was tossed through it.

"Damnit," Altera said as she started to push herself up, her body and clothes already mangled. Blake ran over to help her up when she noticed, "This one caught me off guard."

Blake then felt the ground shake with the beats of walking. She turned to the destroyed house to see a huge man, unlike anything she had ever seen before. His body was pitch-black and hairless, with white markings all over his exposed chest. His teeth and eyes were a blank yellow, with what looked like a third eye on his forehead. In each hand was a massive ax that erupted a light greenish flame, "Erraauuuuhh!" The monstrous being howled as it swung both axes down at the same time onto Altera and Blake.

However, the ax appeared to hit only the street. The monstrous being lifted his axes and looked confused. Around the corner peeking out, Blake watched while Altera held her side, "My semblance fooled, but we need to regroup with the others." She whispered before turning back to Altera, "Where's Medusa?"

"She went to back up Gawain." Altera responded as she got up, "You go find them, I'll take care of this."

"What?" Blake responded, "You can't fight this thing on your own, we don't even know that it is."

"I know what it is," Altera responded as her swords began to rotate, "It's a Grimm abomination, and no matter what kind it is, there all the same." She said as the image of Hakuno appeared in her head, causing her to glare at the monstrous being, "And I will kill every last one!" She then rushed forward at the creature. Blake reached out for Altera but could not stop her. The monstrous being had not noticed Altera approaching yet, making Blake think it could work.

However, once Altera got in range of her target, a massive metal coffin busted out of the ground. I looked to be made of an aged copper with the body of a maiden as the figurehead. Altera gasped as she tried to halt her movement, but the coffin opened. Inside were jagged and blood-stained spikes. Purple mist emanated from the coffin, one that started to cover Altera's body. She dropped her weapon before being pulled in, the ear-piercing screams of agony rang through Blake's ears as the coffin doors.

"Impressive, is it not? My Iron Maiden." a voice spoke to Blake from behind. In turning around, she discovered the pale-skinned woman glaring at her behind the mask with eyes of yellow, Camilla, "And that creature is a Grimm, but I like to see him as one of my little projects in action." She said as the monstrous being picked up the coffin, resting it on his right should, a wide and toothy smile on his face, "I call him, Darius."

"You killed her!" Blake said as she took out her weapons but was shocked at Camilla's sudden laughter.

"Oh no, she is not dead, just in extreme pain." Camilla said before a sinister smile appeared on her face, "We need all of you alive." Blake's heart began to race at the implications of that statement. She then felt the ground shake as Darius approached, but Camilla just smiles. Blake then ran in the opposite direction, away from the two monsters. Camilla chucked again as she watched, "Such a fool." She then smirked, "Oh well, they can take you out."

Blake continued to run through the streets, trying to find someone, "Nononono," She said to herself as sweat ran down her face, "I-I need to go get help, we cannot fight them alone." She said as she clenched her fist, "I…I'm running away again." She said as the images of Ren, Okita, and Altera all appeared in her mind, "I abandoned them." She then slowed to a halt in the middle of the street, "Why do I keep doing this?"

"Well, it looks like the party has already started." Blake looked down the street to see two people entering the town. The one talking to her was Angra Mainyu, with Marcus Black next to him with Serenity still unconscious over his shoulder. The Avenger Grimm then sneered as he looked at Blake, "And it looks like we have a stray cat." Blake gritted her teeth as she took a step back. However, before stopping herself taking another step. She then glared at Angra before spawning her Gambol Shroud and adjusting her stance, "Oh, this one wants to fight." Angra said before turning back to Marcus, "Leave this one to me, you had all the fun last time."

"Fine by me." Marcus responded in a cold voice as Angra spawned his oddly shaped blades from his arms into his hands, "Just be quick about it."

"Get out of this town, now." Blake said in a serious voice, "I will not ask again."

Angra chuckled as he walked forward, "Make me." He said with her rushing forward. The Avenger Grimm responded in kind, the two clash in the middle. Blake's cleaver and sword were hooked by Angra's weapons. The two then pushed off each other, but Blake rushed back in again. She continued to hack with her clever, the Avenger Grimm blocking his blades. While Blake continued her assault, Angra smiled. He then adjusted the grip of his right-handed weapon, parrying Blake's clever and knocking it out of her hand.

As Blake was in a stunned state from the counter-attack, Angra raised his left-handed weapon. She then changed her sword into its pistol form, quick firing the odd-shaped blade out of his left hand. Angra growled in anger as he jumped back, dodging Blake's continued fire. He then churched his other hook blade, knocking the pistol out of Blake's hand before she could avoid.

"Hurry it up," Marcus commented.

"So impatient." Angra responded to his partner before he focused on the unarmed Blake, "Fine, I will end this." Suddenly, a dark aura encompassed his body, turning his pitch black, "Let's see how violent you really are." He said before his body began to morph, taking the form of a Grimm Beowolf that had no bone armor.

Blake gasped at her opponent's transformation. Angra then rushed her, flaring his fangs as he went for a bite. In response, Blake jumped back, leaving a shadow clone where she once stood. Angra bit the clone instead, but quickly located where Blake was going, to retrieve her Gambol Shroud. Just as Blake was about to regain her pistol, Angra leaped over her, landing in between her and her desired item. The cat faunus took a step back as Angra sneered, raising his right claw. However, Blake had an idea, taking up a defensive stance. As the Grimm Avenger swiped down with his right claw, Blake caught the wrist with her right hand. She then put her hand on his stomach, using the momentum to lift him over her body. Blake then slammed Angra on his back, causing him to cough a black slime in response.

"Oh," Marcus said in slight amusement, "The last time I saw that stance in combat was with that horse faunus. Interesting, he is still teaching even to this day." He said with Serenity, slowly opening her eyes, but realizing she had no strength to move.

As Angra rolled over to get up, Blake dove for her pistol. As the Grimm avenger readier to leap at her, Blake aimed and fired three shots. One each in Angra's legs, the third in his right should. He fell back on the ground as the black slime oozed like blood. The cat faunus kept aim on Angra, but glanced at Marcus, "He is in no condition to fight, taking him out of here or-"

"Or what?" Marcus responded, ending Blake's words prematurely. "I have seen many people hold a gun to me before. And you know what, I know when you don't have the stomach to finish someone off." He said with Blake gritting her teeth, her hands shaking, "And besides, killing him will not stop me." He then had a sinister smile on his face, "You cannot stop any of this."

"He's right," Blake turned to see Angra talking to her, "If you wanted to make a difference," He said with body radiating a hateful aura, "You should have aimed for my head." Blake then gritted her teeth as she aimed, but hesitated to pull the trigger, "Die from the payback, Verg Avesta!" The Grimm Avenger said before his body flashed as red and white color. Suddenly, Blake's body pulsated in pain. She soon felt like she had been stone ground below, that someone had shot her in both legs and her right arm, dropping her pistol.

Marcus smirked as he watched Blake scream, Serenity's eyes widened in horror. Angra laughed as he returned to his normal form, "Fool, your loss what inevitable," He said as Blake panted in pain, "My ability is to deal back twice the damage that was dealt to me in that form. No matter the aura level my opponent has, they will reap what they sow." Blake then noticed the shots she had made on her where still present on his body, noting he still had a bit of black slime pour out of his mouth, "But as you see, the drawback is that I still take the damage. The product of having no aura, to begin with."

Blake gritted her teeth before she grabbed her pistol with her left hand, aimed at Angra. However, Marcus immediately rushed her, kicking her in the side of her head. Blake sided on the ground a few feet before coming to a halt. Her weapon knocked out her hand as her consciousness faded. Angra then looked up to see Marcus glaring at him, "You took too long."

"I still had her without your help," Angra responded before he felt his body throb in pain.

"Good, then you can carry her," Marcus responded as he walked away. Angra sighed before he did as he was told, picking up the cat faunus.

Serenity looked back at the unconscious Blake, in the humanoid Grimm's eyes. "I am so sorry." She said in a soft voice, the tears falling onto the stone road.

 _Gawain_

Both of their breathings were heavy, Archer and Cu Chulainn remained on the dock. While heavy and hundred pieces of and limbs of the starfish Grimms floated in the water, more began to bubble to the surface, "There's no end to these things!" the blue-haired lancer said before he stabbed one with his Gae Bolg. Archer continued to fire at the ones approaching with his bow, but noticed more heading towards his blind spot, "Look out!" Cu shouted in response.

Suddenly, a spike at the end of a chain impaled the starfish, sending it back into the water. The two guys looked to see it was Medusa, pulling the chain back before slashing another Grimm starfish. Next to her was Gawain, who slashed at two of the Grimm starfish at the same time, "You two, where are the other students?"

"We sent Blake to find get them and back you up," Cu Chulainn responded, "What is happening here!?"

Suddenly, Gawain remembered the last words of Jaune Alter, causing him to have a look of focus, "We need to inform the Academy of this right away." he said before turning to Medusa, "I am going to use my Noble Phantasm to incinerate the lake."

"You're going to do what!?" Medusa responded.

"It will create a massive steam cloud, use your Pegasus and ride back to the kingdom as fast as possible." He ordered with her still having a look of shock. Medusa then looked over to Archer and Cu Chulainn, who both nodded with eyes of focus. She then responded in kind before looked to Gawain, nodding in agreeance to his plan, "Good, now stand back." They did as he commanded as the Knight of the Sun faced the lake, he held his sword under his arms as it began to glow with heat. While dozens of the Grimm starfish began to focus on his, he remained calm.

"I don't think so." A mysterious female spoke from behind Gawain, right before he felt a sharp pain in his back. Gawain's eyes widened as the others had a look of shock. He turned to see it was the Alter of the King of Knight, his blacked Excalibur in the Knight of the Sun's back. The group then looked back to see who it was that spoke before, discovering it was Guinevere, "You will not ruin my plans."

Gawain coughed blood as Arthur Alter pulled out the sword. The Knight of the Sun turned quickly with a horizontal slash, but it missed. Arthur Alter's blade began to radiate a black aura before he unleashed an upward slash. The darkened Excalibur sliced into Gawain and his armor, launching him into the air. As he looked at the sky, his eyes focused on the sun before his vision began to blur. His body landed far into the lake, making a painful splash on contact with the water.

"Gawain!" Archer, Cu Chulainn, and Medusa shouted at the same time as they saw no response from him sinking into the water. The three then turned to Arthur Alter, who glared at them in an unemotional stare.

"Pity, he would have made an excellent alter," The three then turned to see someone else talking to them, walked on water towards them. It was the cross-eyed man, Gilles, who smirked as he approached, "No matter, you three will be more than enough," As Archer quickly a shoot at Gilles, the cross-eyed man held out his left hand. Suddenly, a purple pyramid-like barrier extended from the palm. The arrow bounced off the barrier, Causing Archer and the others to back up. However, Arthur Alter prevented them from going far. Cu Chulainn and Medusa looked back to see Guinevere smirked, raising her right hand in a similar fashion to Giles. A purple pyramid expanded over them, the two barriers overlapping at the bases, trapping the three fighters in a diamond-shaped prison, "Now suffer." Gilles and Guinevere said at the same time before purple glowed a hot pink, lined with multiple runes. Cu Chulainn, Archer, and Medusa all gasped before blots of pink electricity filled their prison. The three screamed in agony as their bodies fired in the electricity. Cu Chulainn and Medusa dropped their weapons in response to the pain, followed soon by Archer.

After minutes at the end of torment, the current of electricity stopped. Gilles and Guinevere, lowered their hands, causing the light barrier to vanish and a plume of smoke over the area, "Well, a skill that requires two casters to perform is normally too much of a bother to even consider." Guinevere said before she smirked, noticing the three on the floor, their bodies scorched and unable to move, "But, when the skill can reduce the prisoners to those knocking on Death's door, it is hard to argue with the results." She then looked back to Arthur Alter, "Take them with us." She said with him nodding and picking them up.

 _Guinevere_

At the center of town, an unwelcome assembly had gathered. Victor watched as this Fran tossed Ren and Okita on the ground. He then looked over to see Marcus and Angra approaching, "I see you are a little late," Victor said with a smile, "But it doesn't matter."

"We had a little snafu," Angra commented before tossing Blake near the other two unconscious students, "But this should make up for it."

"Yes," Guinevere said as she approached, the three other students on Arthur Alter's back, a line of sweat on his face. The Alter of the King of Knights then tossed them on the ground. The cross-eyed man then looked over to see Carmilla approaching with Darius holding the Iron Maiden with Altera in it, "With seven more alters, we will be unstoppable."

"I am afraid it will have to be six," Carmilla said before she heard banging on the Iron Maiden, "This one would be too dangerous to have an Alter of." However, she smirked as she looked to the group, "However, I can turn her into something else that could cause a, shall we say, more controlled level of chaos."

"Fine," Guinevere responded, "I am still confident in our ability to destroy this kingdom." She then noticed Gilles approaching with a book in his hands, one that had the head of a screaming woman on the cover, "Are we ready to begin?"

"Yes," Gilles said before closing the book. Marcus then tossed Serenity on the ground away from the group. As she tried to get up, Gilles approached her and smiled, "You do not remember me, do you?"

"What?" Serenity said in shock. Suddenly, the image of Giles altered in her mind. One of a man with silver armor, his eyes looking at her with a smile on no ill intent, "You. You visited my town…seven years ago."

"Correct," Gilles responded, "It was your town that was the testing ground for the experiment."

"Experiment?" Serenity said before gritting her teeth, "Everyone died there."

"And they were reborn," Gilles responded, "The same way you were reborn." He then shrugged as she had a look of panic filled her eyes, "Granted, it was not the intention to create the humanoid Grimm. Just a happy accident in the process."

"Wha-" Serenity said before getting cut off.

"We wanted to make the black mud that was to be used to create alters, the people in the town serving at the proper components needed," Giles responded, as Serenity became speechless, "But, your kind was born because our formula was not yet perfected." Serenity the used her stored strength to reach for Giles, an attempt to touch his face and administer the poison. However, Gilles blocked with his book. The book began to glow purple as Serenity realized she could not move her hand, "And the item we need to perfect that formula was you." He said before letting go of the book, Serenity feeling the purple aura surround her body, "The reason you are so deadly to touch is that you carry the highest potency of the black mud now!" He then stretched out his arms, a sickening smile on his face as he preached, "And to have history repeat itself, you must become the catalyst once again!"

"Again!?" Serenity said before another memory filled her mind. She said the Gilles in armor offers her a book, a warm smile on his face with his eyes closed. She responded in kind before accepting the book. However, the purple lighting began to spark from the book as she cried in pain. She turned to the Gilles in armor for comfort, but while the smile remained, his eyes were crossed. Serenity then felt her body tear itself from the side out as the purple darkened to a black. Guinevere created a barrier around herself and the others, all expect Darius. Suddenly a large black pillar of energy pierced the sky, expanding over the area as Serenity whaled in pain.

After a few minutes, Guinevere lowered the barrier. As she looked around, the town was not more damaged than it was before, "Did it fail?" She said in slight anger.

"Oooooohhah!" The group turned to see Darrius convulsing in pain. Suddenly, his body began to enlarge as two horns began to emerge from his body. As he slowly regained control, a smile formed on his face as his eyes turned red.

"Well, that proves it worked," Carmilla said in response, "And here I had my droughts, not having my other subject indulge in the powerup."

"That one is too insane with power," Victor commented, "I free I could be unstoppable if we let him get any stronger." He then looked over to see Serenity on the ground, a small amount of light in her eyes, "She is still alive?"

"Of course," Gilles responded, as he walked over, picking up the book, "We need her in order to do this again in the center of Chaldea." He then looked over to one of the houses, sound of torture as a man ran out into the street. His body and skin began to turn a pitch black, while at the same time melting him into a goop. He screams continued to echo until the point he had no mouth. A similar sound was heard through the entire town as more and more began to turn, "Gather." Gilles said before raising his left hand. the book in his right began to glow with a purple light.

Suddenly, more of the black goop began to conform towards him. The one they have just witness being created was just the first in line. No matter the obstacle, the black mud gathered to a few feet in front of Gilles. The congealing blob rivaled the size of the house, towering over the group. "So, we avoid the environmental destruction for a more potent result." Guinevere commented, "Now, will it still make an Alter?"

"Let's see," Gilles said before pointing at the pile of six students. The black mud blob slowly moved towards the unconscious group, forming a wave before covering them all. The mass began to throb as is encompassed the six, "Now, spit them out." Gilles said before the blob ejected the six onto the ground in front of it.

"Why not just let that thing eat then," Marcus incurred to the cross-eyed man.

"In order for the people at Chaldea to fall for our trap," Gilles responded, "They need some alive bait."

Suddenly, the black mud blob went still, and ominous and quiet aura radiating from it. As the others backed up, a right arm emerged from the blob. It appeared male, but the skin was darker and around the wrist was a large metal weight. As a person walked out, he wore a black and yellow mantle outfit with a red insignia on his back. Hair was a short white and his face resembled that of Archer's. The coldness in his yellow eyes as he looked down at the red mantel warriors' body.

Another body began to emerge, this one more monstrous in size, one that had was resembled a centipede's body as his tail. His body was covered in a blackish-blue animalistic armor with red lining adorning his exposed chest and face. while he wore a hood, enough of his face was seen to make out a sneer as he looked at the blue haired lancer.

Another monstrous creature, this one through the top of the blob. The lower body was like that of a massive snake with golden scales. The upper body showed a female form, but with two sets of wings with feathers matching the scales. The long pink hair showed merged in some bundles, forming the heads of snakelike monsters. While the eyes were covered by some bandage, she still glared down at Medusa with hate.

"Hehehehehehe," Another Alter laughed as it emerged, this one male heavily resembling Ren. However, his outfit was pitch back and his skin a pale white, "Hehehehehe," He continued to giggle as he put an and over her right eye, lifting his hair up, "HeheHEHE!" His cackling grew louder as his yellow eyes twitched, the look of insanity with his smile into nothingness, "HEHEHEHEHEHE!"

Emerging from the blob was a dark-skinned female, wearing thin leather armor under a black tailcoat. She walked on armored boots that seemed to add an extra foot to her height. Red tassels hung from her long pinkish-white, almost paper-like hair. A black bow on the back on her head. In her left was a huge longsword in its sheath. She stopped before glancing down at the Sakura Saber, "Weakling." The alter muttered in a cold tone, sounding similar in voice Okita.

The final Alter emerged, a cat faunus with her eyes closed. once she opened them, the eyes irises seemed to be more like a feline than a human. She looked to examine her long grey hair, the cat ears on her head. As she glanced behind herself, she noticed a long grey tail. As she looked at her hands, she noticed a pale skin over her grey attire. In doing this, she noticed the one matcher in her appearance, Blake. At the sight of her, the alter gritted her teeth, showing off her shape fangs of an animal. She reeled back her right arm and attempted to violently grab the black cat faunus.

However, Arthur Alter grabbed the Cat Alter's waist stopping her, "Now, there is no need for that just yet." Guinevere said before walking over, "We have a mission for all you Alters, and if you complete it, you have my blessing to do whatever you want with the original you." After a second, the five new Alters nodded. The Cat Alter gritted her teeth again before nodding, leading to the loss of Arthur Alter's grip, "Excellent, take your original to the location. You know where that is already." Guinevere smirked with her comment before turning to Camilla, "Get to work on transforming that one in the Iron Median."

"As you wish. I will then rejoin you once I set her free and get my other project." Camilla responded before she felt a trembling in the ground below. She then turned to the end of town to see a massive dust cloud.

"There are the Grimm our experiment attached just like before," Gilles commented as Camilla laughed.

"Yes, except we can use them to our advantage." Camilla said while looking up at Darius, "You will lead then, as a commander would to his army." She said with Darius smile growing wider.

"I shall go to my point for our attack," Gilles said before looking to Angra, "Keep that girl safe here until my return. She should be safe to touch now, but she will soon regain her power." the cross-eyed man then smiled before walking away, "By the time she does, this war may already be over." He said with Angra nodding.

"You remember our deal," Marcus said to Victor, "You can kill everyone else in this kingdom, but my son and daughter are mine to fight."

"Of course," Victor said with a smirk, "I can understand this type of bond between father and child."

"That is enough talk," Guinevere spoke to the group, "We have planned for this day for too long. Now, we are finally in the last phase, our objectives are within our grasp." She said before pointing out of the edge of town, the faintest image of building in the backdown. "When we overtake the Chaldea, and the kingdom will be no more. With everyone she ever tried to protect dying, Arturia with come back." She then looked over to Arthur Alter, "And you will eliminate her." Guinevere smiled as she turned around toward their destination, "Now then, let the War for Apocrypha begin." She said before walking down the road, Arthur Alter soon following. With paces Victor followed, this Fran walking beside him. Marcus followed as, taking a sip from his flask. The Alters then picked up their originals and went their separate ways. Angra picked up Serenity and carried her deeper into the town. Gilles walked away as the blob followed him. Carmilla watched as Darius roared toward the approaching Grimm, but her eyes glanced back to the Iron Maidan. Guinevere remained focused, her fist clenched, and a sinister smile on her face.

 **AN: There you go, the war is on. I feel this was a little bit expected consider most of who went to the village conveniently has an alter form. You also see that Ren and Blake have Alters now, but I will not do a new stat sheet form. I feel it would be unneeded at this time, with future focus chapter doing more to explain their powers. I really do not have much more to say without spoilers, considering this is the endgame and all. So, hope you are ready for the battles. Chapters may be a little more spread out as I am busy with college work and want to make sure I am not rushing content.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	72. Chapter 69 - Rescue Operations

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one was a blast to write, giving a lot of character payoff moments before the big battles. You'll see every team get formed as they go out to fight in this war. I also get to make a few RWBY series cameos that were fun to include. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 69 – Rescue Operations**

 _Zhuge Liang_

Inside his office, Zhuge Liang stood in front of a large monitor. After a few seconds, a man appeared on the other end of the screen. He wore an Atlassian military uniform with short black hair and metal implant over his right eyebrow. Both men had a scowl as they looked at each other, "General Ironwood." The headmaster of Chaldea spoke first.

"Headmaster Liang," the Atlesian general responded, "I got your prior message regarding what you discovered about BB."

"Yet it only took you now to humor me with a response." Zhuge Liang responded, "You sent that machine to my academy under false pretenses."

General Ironwood sighed before continuing, "And I can explain, our-"

"At this point, it is irrelevant to me of your reasons why." The headmaster of Chaldea said before glancing at the window, seeing a massive dust cloud in the distance, "Let us cut to the chase. A Grimm attack is about to hit my academy and neighboring town. I need you to send one of your large military airships to Apocrypha to help with evacuation and bolstering our defenses." He said with General Ironwood's gritting his teeth, "Do it, or I will send the other kingdoms a file containing what BB was and why they cannot trust your military anymore."

"You think blackmail will work on the Atlas military?" General Ironwoods responded, "I am not sending soldiers to die in a kingdom like yours. You had your chance to leave that defenseless land, but you choose to stay like a stubborn child." He then leaned in with a narrowing of his eyes, "Your kingdom was going to fall eventually, all you have been doing is postponing this inevitability."

Zhuge Liang then clenched his fists, "This land, no matter what you say about it, is the home of thousands of people. Even if this kingdom were to fall, I will defend it to my last breath." He then glared at the Atlassian general, "My assumptions about you were correct, you are nothing but an egotist."

"If you wish to include that in your file, be my guest." General Ironwood responded, "Who would even believe the desperate words from a kingdom about to fall?"

"…Is that my cue to speak up," A third male voice was heard, one that General recognized and gasped in panic. Zhuge Liang then had a smirk as the monitor went into split screen. While Ironwood was on the left, the right showed a man with disheveled white hair and small glasses, "Because I would have to agree with the other headmaster here, you are being a bit of a jerk now." General Ironwood then heard footsteps on Zhuge Liang side of audio, seeing another familiar face came into frame.

 _Glynda_

"I agree with Ozpin," Glynda said as she stood next Zhuge Liang, her arms crossed as she glared at the general, "This is a low for you."

"Glynda!?" General Ironwoods responded in shock, "I did not know you were in the room."

"And that would have been a defining factor in your decision to help?" She said with the general going silent, causing her to sigh, "Truly, you are hopeless." And General Ironwoods glared at Zhuge Liang, who continued to smirk, Glynda turned towards Ozpin, "I will be aiding this kingdom's defenses, but I would like to request a large airship for the evacuating citizen be sent here immediately."

"I will have to ask James if it is okay too," Ozpin said as he turned left, "Well, is it now?" He said the general glaring back at the headmaster of Beacon, "…I'll take that as a yes." Ozpin said with a smile before looking back to Glynda, "James and I will leave at once. On the way, we will be having a long conversation about his…admission of new students." Ozpin then had a small smile as he looked at Glynda, "Good luck." He said before both sides of the monitor went black.

Zhuge Liang sighed in relief before he turned to Glynda, "Thank you." He said with her glaring at him now, "But you are still mad at me also."

"I omitted mention of the fact that two of Beacon's students that we have just lost all contact with from the fishing town." Glynda said with a sneer, "And Yang Xiao Long seems to be nowhere to be found."

"She and Gilgamesh went after Mordred. At least, that is what Kairi mentioned before trying to catch up to them in his car." Zhuge Liang said as the two walked out the door and down the hall, taking out his scroll which showed a topographical landscape of the area, "The size of the invasion wave is colossal, having already passing over the fishing town," He said as the map showed a massive cluster of black dots approaching two blue markers, "Within the hour, they will reach the town and our academy."

"What is your plan?" Glynda asked.

"To fight back," The headmaster of Chaldea replied as a few white dots appeared between the black clusters and blue markers, "Professors and staff will be on the front lines, fighting against the Grimm horde in mass. Whatever monsters make it through them, our students will be able to finish them off." His map then showed two larger clusters of black dots, "These two seem to be far more concentrated. I fear these may be the enemies spearhead to pierce through our defenses. For these targets, I have ordered Vlad and Iskandar to deal with. However, this might not be enough to win. I need to run this by Sherlock to-"

"Hold on," Glynda interrupted as she noticed something on the map, "The lake in the fishing town. It has a river that bleeds out to the nearby ocean." she then pointed on the map, "What if you had someone travel via a ship through the ocean, avoiding the Grimm, and making through the river and into the fishing town. They can then flank the enemy and search for any survivors."

"That's brilliant," Zhuge Liang responded, "If anyone can execute this part of the plan, it is Drake. I will inform her at once. I am going to aid Iskandar in his assault."

"Very well, I will assist Professor Tepes in the battle." Glynda said before she noticed seven red dots on the map spread out along the field, "What do those mean?"

"Those ones," Zhuge Liang responded with his voice serious, yet full of dread, "They are distress signals the class cards give off when the student's life is in critical danger."

"And these are the students from the fishing town," Glynda said with him nodding.

Zhuge Liang's eyes focused as he noticed something, "Cu Chulainn's is also going off, but not Gawain. I fear that may mean the worse for him has already happened. The class cards will not deploy this signal unless they are near the owner, telling us that these are not decoys." He then gritted his teeth, "The enemy is planning to use hostages to thin out our lines of defense."

"What is your plan to rescue them?" Glynda said, but Zhuge Liang remained unresponsive, "…You can't, can you."

"Glynda, there is something I should have told you about our enemy." Zhuge Liang spoke with her listening, "They use a black slime to create Alters of people. An Alter is a-"

"I already know," Glynda responded.

"…What!?" Zhuge Liang said in confusion, "When?"

"Shortly after this chaos started, Jaune and Pyrrha told me of their battle at the fishing town." Glynda responded, "As well as telling their friends and the friends they made here at this Academy." She then crossed her arms as she looked at Zhuge Liang, "I am disappointed that you kept such a vital piece of information from me." He was about to speak up, but Glynda continued, "Regardless, they have decided to go off and save their friends in distress and there is no stopping them. At least, that was how Ruby Rose phrased too." She then looked at his scroll, "The least you can do now is send them these coordinates. While I would not advice it, it is something I know Ozpin would do in this situation."

"…Understood," Zhuge Liang said before he prepared to send the information, "Do you really trust them to succeed? This is a new level of dangers they will be fighting."

"If I have learned one thing form Team's RWBY and JNPR," Glynda responded with a small smile, "It is that they will find a way to overcome any obstacle." She said with a similar hopeful smile now forming on Zhuge Liang's face as he sent out the locations.

 _Cinder_

In the infirmary, Chloe laid in a bed unconscious under the covers, her breathing heavy. A damp cloth was on her forehead, but her face dripping with sweat. Cinder looked over at Chloe with sorrow, "Chloe…" She said before she remembered who else is experiencing this pain, "Archer." She then placed her right hand on her head, gritting her teeth, "What is going on?"

Suddenly, Cinder felt a chill run down her spine. As she looked to the windows, she discovered they were closed. However, as she looked around, the light began to fade from her reality. She stood up from her chair before everything around her had turned pitch black. She reached to see if the chair was still there but felt nothing.

 _ **Do not panic.**_

A female voice spoke in the darkness, the words emanating from all directions, and the tone conveyed a simultaneously calming and ominous tenor.

 _ **You know who I am.**_

"Salem…" Cinder said to the nothingness, "I did not know you could do this." She looked around in the black void, a realization of familiarly come to her mind, "Is this a reality marble!?"

 _ **Giving clarity to unimaginable power only weakens it in the eyes of others. If it is comparable, it loses that which makes it so threating. The unknown. Was it not I who taught you that?**_

Cinder gritted her teeth at Salem's lesson. She then relaxed her expression at the sound of cackling in the shadows.

 _ **I only jest, your assumption was correct.**_

"Why didn't you teach me this power?" Cinder responded a slight pit in her voice.

 _ **Our relationship as master and student ended long ago. When I sent you to go after the four maidens, I now saw you as a colleague in my conquests. If you were to acquire more strength, it would not be through my hands. But, after seeing as how the acquisition of the Fall Maiden's power proved to have complication…**_

"You recommended I go to this kingdom." Cinder responded to finish the thought, "And to find Shirou Emiya, who now goes by Archer."

 _ **He is an interesting one. Acquiring silver eyes shortly after the loss of a loved one. I could almost feel his anger and self-loathing all the way from where I am now. It is fascinating how one's depression for years can fuel the creation of Grimm, even when the individual tries to put on a straight face.**_

Salem voice then stopped as Cinder clenched her fists.

… _ **I know what you think now. The answer is no, I had nothing to with the events that lead to her death. However, the individual responsible seems to want to repeat history.**_

"What?" Cinder spoke up, "Who?"

 _ **A normal man before his experiments into Grimm biology warped his mind. I was aware of him years ago, but his actions in this kingdom were too minuscular for me to bother myself with. His exposure to the essences went to unhealthy levels, turning him into someone to be exploited by another. Which reminds me, your mark is gone.**_

"My mark?" Cinder said before she remembered the mark on her back was gone. She then remembered the events in Ruby's reality marble, what had happened with Sakura in there.

 _ **Yes, you seem to have lost the Grimm essences from that item I gave you to take the Fall Maiden's power. Moreover, the type of purification your body has undergone has safeguarded you from any similar method of contact with Grimm.**_

"Are you saying I am immune to Grimm now!?" Cinder exclaimed as she looked at her hands, "How did she do that?" She whispered to herself, "…Why did she do that?" She then clenched her fist before looking back into the void, "What does this mean for my powers."

 _ **It is obvious you have not lost your half of the Fall Maiden's power. In fact, your body seems to be adjusting to it at a more rapid rate than before. It would seem the power recognizes you as a proper host now. Odd, considering you are much older than the powers use as a guideline.**_

"Hey!" Cinder responded to her boss' comment.

 _ **Oh, you do not get to lecture me on age. Back on topic, it would seem a different catalyst is acting as the mediator for you and Fall Maiden's power. Something that would normally act as a host to the powers in general.**_

Cinder listened before she had a realization, "Sakura, at her age, she would have been a perfect fit for the Fall Maiden's power to go to." She said to herself before looking back to her open palms, "So, this is what you thanked me with." She then clenched her fist again. However, this time was not out of potential danger, but a look of sadness in her eyes, "But, what did I do to deserve this gift. I did not earn it, I had no say in the matter." She squeezed her hands tighter, causing blood to spill into the endless black void, "This is not my power anymore." Cinder said as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

 _ **Regardless, I would need to examine you in person to give you a cleaner opinion. You should leave Apocrypha anyway. It would not be wise you and your group to stay there any longer.**_

"What do you mean?" Cinder responded.

 _ **An invasion of Grimm is heading towards your location, led by a faction that has seemingly created a new type of creature through their experimentations. I believe they call them Alters, beings born from the combination of the essences of the living and the Grimm. A product I personally find detestable, a creature that should not exist in this world by its own nature.**_

"An Alter?" Cinder said before she realized something that Salem confirmed.

 _ **One of which seems to be created from Shirou Emiya, holding him hostage outside of the invasion wave.**_

"Where is he!?" Cinder asked with slight panic in her voice.

 _ **And why do you wish to know?**_

Salem's word caused Cinder to pause for a second, unable to respond.

 _ **I advised you to leave, yet you wish to stay?**_

Again, Cinder struggled to respond.

 _ **This is not your battle. I cannot ensure that you will win against this foe. The smarter play would be for you and your subordinates to fall back. Regroup with me, so that we can mount a proper offensive against this foe.**_

"If I did that, it might be too late to save him." Cinder finally spoke up, a realization came to her mind, "I cannot repay Sakura for what she gave me if I leave now. I need to save him." She said as a small smile appeared on her face, "I need to save Shirou Emiya." She then looked up into the darkness, "Salem, once I can guarantee his safety in the arms of his family, I will return to you."

… _ **Very well, you may do as you please. I can only aid as much as I can from here. For the most part, survival is your responsibility.**_

"Thank you." Cinder said with a nod.

 _ **And Cinder, do be careful, I would hate to lose you before our dreams could come true.**_

"Yes," Cinder said before the shroud of darkness around her slowly vanished. Finding herself back in the infirmary with Chloe, who slowly opened her eyes through the pain, "Take it easy, I'm here."

"Cin…der," Chloe said in a Weak voice, "Archer…he's…"

"It's okay, I'm going to bring him back." Cinder said with a smile, "Trust me."

Chloe, despite her pain, formed a smile as well, "Thank…you." She said before closing her eyes again and falling asleep.

Cinder then adjusted Chloe blanket before a look of focus was on her face. She moved out of the door to discover Iri and Illya running towards the room, "Cinder, I cannot contact Shirou or Kiritsugu!" Iri spoke in panic, "How is Chloe feeling?"

"She is still alive," Cinder responded, "But that might be the only piece of good news regarding her condition." She said before feeling her scroll buzz in her pocket. As she took it out, she discovered an email with the subject line, _**His Location**_. Cinder then smiled before looking back to the two, "But I know where Shirou is now, I'll head to his location."

"I'm coming with you," Iri responded in sureness.

"Me too," Illya added on in the same tone.

"No Illya," Iri said as she knelt down to her daughter, "I need you to stay back and look after Chloe. She needs you to now more than ever." She said with Illya having a look distraught at not being able to help, "Please, leave this to us." Iri said before Illya had a look of focus, nodding to her mother.

Illya then turned to enter the room, but looked back at Cinder, "You better bring my brother back alive, or I will never forgive you!" She said with a point at Cinder, who nodded in response. Illya then lowered her hand before entering the room, going to Chloe's side.

Cinder then turned to Iri. "You can stay back too, this is going to be dangerous." She said but Iri had a lofty smile on her face.

"I am not so easily scared away," Iri responded, "If my family is in danger, I will do anything to save them." She then winked at the black-haired archer, "Besides, have you thought of how you are going to get to Shirou's location." She said with Cinder checking the coordinates she was given, noting it was more than a long walk away. She looked back to discover a set of car keys in Iri's right hand, "Kiritsugu tried to hide them before he left, but I finally found them. I was going to take you for a joyride after you won Grand Order, but things have changed." She then gripped the keys before a burning passion filled her eyes, "Let's roll!" Iri then turned around and ran down the hall.

Cinder had a small smile on her face as she looked down at her scroll, text a message to someone. Behind her, Ishtar turned the corner to see Cinder, "There you are, I need to talk to you ab-" Ishtar was saying, but then Cinder started running after Iri, "Hey, wait up!" Ishtar yelled back as she ran after her, informally joining their party.

 _Emerald_

Walking down the hall towards the infirmary, Emerald and Neo made their way towards Mercury's room, "Cinder really gave us the order to take Mercury and leave the kingdom!?" Emerald asked Neo, who nodded and showed her the text again, "Thing must be more serious than I thought." She then looked to see Neo typing message, showing it to Emerald, who read it aloud, "I'm staying." Emerald responded before looking to Neo in confusion, "Why!?"

Neo was about to type more, but then gripped her scroll, holding it close to her chest, "…Because he is staying…" The pint-sized girl said in a timid voice, Emerald looking at her in slight shock at the sound she made. Emerald then looked down the hall, seeing Jekyll leading civilians towards the rooms for Grand Order. One by one, the civilians were teleported to Hanging Gardens for their safety.

"I see," Emerald said before she noticed Robin helping Jekyll guide people. She then clenched her broach before turning back to Neo, "Okay, I'm staying too." She then had a slight smile on her face, "She may have given us this order, but her order when we got here was to play the role of students. We would be messing up her plans if we ran away like cowards." She said with Neo smiling, "Okay, let's act like students, and protect this place from Grimm. So, let's find one of these professors to assist." Neo nodded before running in the opposite direction.

As Emerald looked down the hall, she noticed Drake turning the corner and putting away her scroll, "Oh Emerald," Drake said in a rushed tone, "Listen, I was just given an important mission, so I have to go and set sail."

"Let me come with," Emerald offered, "I want to help."

Drake cracked a small smile as she looked down at the green haired thief, "Well, where was this energy when I was looking for my pick in Grand Order." She said with Emerald smirking back, "Okay, let's go." She said with Emerald nodding. The began to run down the hall before Drake noticed Emerald glancing back at Robin, "Something you want to say to him?" She said with her eyes half open and a grin on her face.

"Not yet," Emerald responded, "This way, I have another reason to come back here in one piece." She said before following Drake down the hall.

 _Nora_

Running down the halls, Nora and Kiyohime looked on their scroll to see a blinking red dot on a map, "This is where Ren is?" Nora said before turning to the draconic faunus, "You said a couple of professors to lead us here?"

"Yes, Professors Shuwen and Taiga. Cat is coming too," Kiyohime responded, "Do you have anyone else to help us?"

"I haven't seen Fran in a while-" Nora was saying until she saw her roommate run by, "Fran!"

"Au!" Fran responded in a rushed voice, "UU!"

"What!" Nora responded, "An Advisory knows where your father is attacking from. You're going with him and professor Moriarty right now."

"Ua!" Fran said with a nod, "Au?"

"I-" Nora hesitated before she had a look of confidence, "Okay, I'll be right there." Fran nodded before running off. The orange haired saber then turned back to Kiyohime, "I'm going to help Fran's group in battle."

"What!?" Kiyohime responded in shock, "But what about Re-"

Suddenly, Nora grabbed Kiyohime shoulders with both hands, looking her in the eyes, "You go get your man back." The orange haired saber said with a smile, "I'm counting on you." She said with Kiyohime starting to smile, then nodding back. Nora let go of the draconic faunus, the two running their separate ways.

 _Ushiwakamaru_

In the infirmary, Mercury still laid unconscious in the bed. On the other side of the room were the two prior combatants of the last round, Kato and Rhyme, unconscious in beds as well. Next to Kato was Ushiwakamaru, while Jack sat next to Rhyme. The two looked out the window to see the large dust cloud in the distance, "This is bad." Ushiwakamaru said to herself.

"That's a lot of Grimm coming our way." Jack said as well, "We have never seen that many before."

"It's not the Grimm I am worried about," Ushiwakamaru said before looking back to Mercury, "Our father is coming." She said with Jack turning to her, noticing Ushiwakamaru standing up, "I have to stop him before he can hurt Mercury again."

"Again?" Jack questioned before she knew the answer remembering the feeling of Mercury's prosthetic legs. She then had a look of confidence before getting up out of her chair, "We are coming with!"

"No Jack, this is not your fight." Ushiwakamaru responded in a serious voice, "Trust me, Markus Black is not above hurting a child of your age. Even ki-"

"We promised him we would protect him!" Jack shouted back clenching her fists, "Mercury took care of us, feed us, made us happy." She said with tears forming in her eyes, "We couldn't live with him, he is our family."

"Jack…" Ushiwakamaru responded, "He is my family too."

"No! You are not his family!" Jack responded in anger, shocking the long-haired samurai. Ushiwakamaru then looked over to the drawing Jack made before, noting she has not added the image, "Where were you!? You were never there for him! If you were, he might still have his legs!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Ushiwakamaru shouted back, tears in her eyes, "I wanted to be by his side, I wanted to protect him!" She said with tears in Jack's eyes forming as well, "But I couldn't stop my father then, he took Mercury away from my mother and me. Now, all of that will change when Marcus is gone for good."

"How do you know where he is?" Jack asked before wiping her face.

"I don't," Ushiwakamaru said before taking out her scroll and class card, "But I can make him come to me with a fake distress signal." She wiped her face before going to the door, but noticed Jack following, "I told you-"

"We told you!" Jack responded, "We will protect Mercury." Ushiwakamaru saw the focus in Jack's, knowing it was slightly different than what she meant before. The longhaired samurai then nodded before going out the door. Jack took a few steps to follow, but then looked back to Mercury. Quickly, she ran over to his bed, picking up a colored pencil and black scrape of paper. She wrote a message before folding the paper, sticking it in his right hand. Jack then looked at Mercury with a sincere smile before running out the room, a look of focus in her eyes.

 _Ruby_

At the North entrance to the academy, Ruby walked alongside Achilles and Atalanta, "Okay, Blake's distress signal is coming from…here!" Ruby said as she pointed on the map of her scroll.

"That's not too far from here," Atalanta commented.

"Yeah but Lobo can't carry all three of us." Ruby responded, "Even if he could, I'm having him stay back with Enkidu. For his safety, he cannot fight now."

"No worries." Achilles responded, "Remember, I am a rider also." He then whistled, calling a green bolt of lightning that blinded Ruby for a second. When she opened her eyes, she saw a massive steel chariot in front of her. The chariot was pulled by three horses, one white, one brown, and one black, "Behold, The Tempestuous Immortal Chariot!" He said with Ruby looking in awe, Atalanta sighing at his showboating, "We'll get there in no now." Achilles said before jumping on, grabbing the reins."

Atalanta got on as well, but as Ruby did, someone pulled on her cape, she turned to see it was Penthesilea, "Hey, you are not leaving without me!"

"What?" Ruby commented back, "Why?"

"Because my teammate Medusa is nearby Blake's location," Penthesilea responded, "You're taking me with so I can save her."

"Fine," Achilles agreed, "It will be a little cramped, but my chariot can hold four people."

"But I am going as well," The four then turned to see a someone else addressing them. It was the JK saber, Suzuka Gozen, "What, did you forget that I existed?" Suzuka said with a smirk, "How rude of you." She then crossed her arms as she looked at Achilles, "Well, I am done being on the sidelines."

"If that's the case, one of us needs to stay back," Atalanta spoke up.

"I can," Ruby offered, looking over to the lioness faunus, "I trust you to save my teammate." She said with her smiling. Ruby then turned to Penthesilea, "And your teammate." Ruby then looked over to Achilles, a wink with her response, "And your girlfriend." She then looked over to Suzuka, "And your…I'm sorry, we haven't met yet, I'm Ruby."

"Suzuka," she said with a nod, "Don't worry, I will bring Blake back in one piece. Well, at least three at a minimum." She said with Ruby having a look of horror on her face, "JK." Suzuka said with a smile before getting on the chariot, Achilles and Atalanta looking at her in distraught, "What, it is important to give a sense of humor in a time like this."

Penthesilea was about to get on the chariot but then noticed Achilles and Atalanta glaring at her. Their eyes quickly glanced to Ruby, signaling the berserker queen to say something to her. Penthesilea sighed before looking to the silver eyed girl, "Hey…thank you." She said with Ruby smiling. Penthesilea looked back to Achilles and Atalanta, who was still glaring at her, causing the berserker queen to look back to Ruby, her face slightly red, "And…sorry for biting you."

"It's okay," Ruby responded, "Sorry for Lobo biting you." She said with Suzuka giggling, causing Penthesilea to glare at her before getting on the chariot. With all four on, Achilles cracked the reins, causing the horses to start galloping. A bolt of green lightning appeared, acting as a road for the chariot to soar in the sky, "Huh, it can fly." Ruby comment as she saw they group vanish in the distance. Ruby then looked over to see Iskandar talking with Zhuge Liang, causing a new look of focus in her eyes.

Iskandar summoned his Gordius Wheel and jumped on it. He turned to Zhuge Liang, "Just like old times. Right, Waver?" The King of Conquerors said with a grin.

"This is not the time for nostalgia." Zhuge Liang responded, "We need to move out now."

"Right," Iskandar said before he noticed his pick for the round running over to him, "Well, it looks like we have one more to join us."

"Iskandar…" Zhuge Liang responded with a sigh, "If you were a proper teacher, you would tell her to stay back. Of all these reckless students, she is the one who just came from a massive battle with no time to heal."

"You and I both know I am a better conqueror than a professor." Iskandar responded, "I will never stop anyone from fighting by my side." He then turned to see the large dust cloud approaching, "But rest assured, I will not let this be her final battle."

In the distance, Astolfo and Marie noticed Ruby talking to the professor and headmaster, "Look at her, still wanting to save this kingdom." The svelte paladin commented before putting his hands behind his head, "Well, I better go join them."

"Astolfo," Marie ordered, "We are not strong enough to fight on the front lines like them. Our team was sighed to fight what the slips by the professors, acting as the last line between the Grimm and this academy."

"And you, d'Eon, and Sanson will be fine without me." Astolfo responded with a smile before his voice got slightly serious, "Listen, somebody needs to make sure Ruby gets back to see her friends again. And if something were to happen to her on my watch, her scary sister would never forgive me." He then winked with a smile on his face, his voice back a being carefree, "So, let me be one of the heroes that save the day, please."

"…Okay," Marie said with slight reluctance, "But, promise me you will come back also."

"Don't worry, I'm Astolfo," The svelte paladin said with a grin, "I would never do anything to make a girl cry. Unless its tears of joy." He then turned and made his way towards Ruby and the others. Marie looked at her teammate with a smile but clenched her heart at the same time.

 _Neo_

Neo ran out the East entrance to Chaldea, ready to defend. Suddenly, she found someone pulling on the back of her coattail, "Slowdown there," Neo turned to see who was talking to her, discovering it was Medb, the same person who halted her just now, "I need my Chariot back now."

Neo shook her head from left to right.

"Why you!" Medb said in fuming anger, "I just found out my Cu's life is in danger."

Neo changed the orientation of her eye colors.

"Yes, I have him tracked, don't judge me." Medb bluntly responded, "So, give me back my noble phantasm. I can then go and save him. Once I do, there is no way he will be able to turn me down ever again."

Neo smirked as she looked at Medb.

"…Shut up," Medb responded, "You either give me it back now, or we go there together to save him." Suddenly, Neo shrugged, her eye color orientation changing back to normal, "Is that a yes to re-partnership?" She said the pint-sized girl nodding up and down, "Good if I can show off how strong my student is in front of Cu, it will just seal the deal more." Medb said before Neo summon the bull drown carriage. The two took to the drive seat, but Neo felt something attach to the back of the love chariot. When she looked to Medb for conformation, she only saw a sinister look of focus in her eye. Neo then shrugged and took the reins of the carriage, riding off in the distance.

 _Weiss_

At the West entrance, Weiss outside the Academy walls, talking on her scroll with Semiramis, "The Hanging Gardens will be used for a safe haven for civilians." Semiramis informed, "Remember, the healing did not restore your aura to full, just patched you up."

"I know," Weiss responded, "I will return to you if I reach my limit."

"Weiss…" Semiramis said before taking a small pause, "Please take those words to heart."

"I will, trust me." Weiss responded with a smirk, "I'm not going die, not until I prove my Father wrong." The heiress said with a look of confidence in her eyes, "That I represent the Schnee name more than he ever will."

"Well, to me," Semiramis said with a slight chuck, "You already have." She said with Weiss smiling, "Stay alive." She said before the called.

Weiss closed her scroll and put it in her pocket, "Hey, Ice Queen!" She then looked over to see Nobu running over to her, back in her black military outfit, "I need your help."

"You need my help!?" Weiss said with an indignant tone.

"Yeah, I know, we hate each other, blah blah blah." Nobu summed up, "But, I need some backup to go save Okita. Penthesilea is going to save Medusa, I can't find the blond trio, and…I don't have any other friend." The Grimm Archer said bluntly about herself, "So, can you lend a girl a hand?"

"…Will you delete that dumb game off your phone." Weiss said as she crossed her arms.

"Are you kidding me with this!?" Nobu responded while Weiss remaining steadfast. The Grimm Archer then sighed before taking out her scroll, "Fine," Nobu said before deleting the app, "Happy now."

"Wow," Weiss said in shock, "You really do care about her."

"Look, Okita may be the weakest saber student, be a total airhead, and sometimes gets on my nerves," Nobu said tipping her had down with her right hand, hiding her eyes from the heiress, "But…she is my best friend in the whole world. She was the first person to put up with when nobody else wanted to be my partner in this school." Nobu then looked back to Weiss, "Can you understand that."

"Yeah, I really can," Weiss said with a smile. Nobu smiled back as Weiss retook out her scroll, opening it up to a map of the area, "Okita's signal is pretty far, we are going to have to borrow an airship." She said with Nobu pointing at a small airship nearby, "Oh convenient." The heiress said before she and Nobu started to walk towards it. Weiss the scratched the back of her head, "Hey, I was just joking about the game just now. I didn't think you would delete it so fast."

"Oh, don't worry." Nobu responded, "I have my data saved to my account. I'll just redownload it after we all get back." She said with Weiss glare at her, realizing the gestures before was pointless.

As they boarded the airship, the three of the members of Team Extella entered all at once. Nero and Tamamo were both still disheveled from their matches, but Elizabeth looked fine, "What are you three doing?"

"We are going to save Attila." The three said at the same time, then glared at each other for impromptu synchronization.

"Well, lucky us," Weiss said as she took the pilot seat, "Attila's signal is moving towards Okita's." She said before flipping the switches and grabbing the handles, "We can save two students in one mission." The heiress said before the airship started to raise.

 _Pyrrha_

Just outside the Academy's south entrance, Vlad mouthed a black horse. The horse was clad in steel armor and had glowing yellow eyes. To his right was Glynda, who rode atop a white horse. Behind them was Karna, who was on a black horse, and Arjuna, who was on white stead. As they were about to ride, Pyrrha ran over, "Wait!" She called, "Let me join you."

"You have not recovered from your battle with the King of Heroes," Vlad responded, his eyes focused on the road ahead, "Go to the Hanging Gardens for shelter."

"No, I can fight, I can do this!" Pyrrha said, but Vlad did not make eye contact with her, "…You don't want me to join you, is that it?" She said before her voice got anger, "Because I lost again, you're giving up on me!?"

"Pyrrha Nikos, listen well to these words," Vlad spoke back, "If you live a long life, people will remember you. However, if you live a short life, people will only remember what you did, while you fade away with the wind." He then looked back to her, staring into her soul with his cruel gaze, "Once more I will ask you, how do you wish to be remembered?"

Pyrrha looked back at him in slight confusion of his verbiage, while Karna and Arjuna waited for her response. Glynda looked over at Vlad, seeing him remained unwavering. Suddenly, Pyrrha clenched her fists, "I want to be remembered as the huntress that could win any battle, no matter who or what it was against." She repeated from their conversation before, but she was not done yet, "And, I want to be able to tell those battles to a friend, face-to-face. That way, I never have to abandon anyone while I get stronger. I want to always be in their lives." She then smiled as she looked at Vlad, noticing Glynda and Karna also smiling, "I don't want to leave a legacy, I want to live one." She said with Vlad now cracking a smile, "And I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Huh, well said," Vlad responded, his eyes signaling her to Karna's horse. Pyrrha nodded before mounting the horse, sitting behind Karna, "The time is now!" Vlad declared, "Let us ride into battle, and claim victory for Apocrypha!" he then cracked the reins, causing his horse to neigh. As he led the charge, the others followed.

 _Jeanne_

Jalter laid on the floor before getting awakened but the sound of the lab door opening. She opened one you as she looked over, discovering it was Dr. Roman, Da Vinci, and Jeanne, "Oh, look who it is." Jalter said with a smirk.

Dr. Roman walked to the edge of the barrier with a look of anger in his eyes, "We know who made you, Sherlock figure it out." He said as Jalter got up, "Gilles de Rais, Victor Frankenstein, G-"

"What does that matter now?" Jalter cut him off a sinister smile on her face, "Even in here, I can feel the floor shaking." She said with the head of medical and administrations gritting his teeth, "It has begun."

"You!" Da Vinci said as he clenched her fists, "Several students have been captured!"

"Then they have had an alter created in their image." Jalter responded before looking to her original, "And you know how deadly one is."

"We have studied your biology nonstop. We know how to beat your kind." Dr. Roman responded, regaining Jalter's attention, "You may be strong, but that body does have its limits. Enough damage and you will fade away like a Grimm. And right now, you are the easy one to eliminate," He said with her gritting her teeth. Dr. Roman then turned back to Da Vinci, "Do it." He said with her nodding.

"Do what?" Jeanne and Jalter said at the same time as Da Vinci press an orange button on the control panel. Suddenly, Jatler's prison engulfed in flames. She screamed in torment as Jeanne looked on in horror.

"What are you doing to her!?" Jeanne turned to Dr. Roman, Jalter thrashing as her skin charred.

"This is what we have to do, she cannot be kept alive any longer." Da Vinci said as she headed the echoing screams of Jalter. Da Vinci closed her eyes as she muted the prison, "Jeanne, you knew this was how it was going to end for her."

"She is not a human being." Dr. Roman said as he turned to face Jeanne, whose expression was a mix of horror and anger at him, "I know this not the heroic play, but in times like this, you have to-"

Suddenly, the end of a black sword burst out of the center of his chest. Da Vinci and Jeanne gasped in horror as he coughed blood. The barrier to the prison behind him cracking, the sword withdrew as the head of medical and administration's eyes slowly closed, "Romani!" Da Vinci cried as she ran for him, catching him before he fell.

Jeanne ran over to also but was stopped halfway as the barrier broke. The flames roared out in a heatwave, the center stood Jalter. The black sword in her hand radiated a fire, but this one was purple and black flames. Jalter sadistic chuckle as her body smoked, "This prison may have weakened me at first, but I have slowly been regaining my strength." She then pointed her sword at Jeanne, "Now, I know how I want to kill you." She said with Jeanne spawning her flag, "I will burn you to death!"

 **AN: There you go, the battles have begun. A lot of death flags get raised on character's heads here, some red hearings, but a couple may come true. I tried to cut down on the overstated exposition on this chapter, so some things may look rushed. But note, each one of these battles will have a dedicated chapter to them before I move onto showing the next battle. And the first will be Jalter's rampage close to home. I also got to show off a bit of Ironwoods and Ozpin, who I liked that I could give a little personality to.**

 **Then, a first for me, I got to write Salem. I took a risk with her and give her a completely different style of wiring. I wound not describe her as a character here, rather a force of nature acting as an observer to the whole world. You don't see her, but like Medaka Box's Kumagawa, there is a district way to know she is talking. Salem is not quoted, rather all her words are** _ **bolded and italicized**_ **for the dark but elegant tone she has, (Also, doing it in this style makes her words seem like she is a narrator to this story. Something I thought was a nice touch of her commenting on the world from her point of view). And yes, her reality marble is an exact foil to Ruby's to the most obvious level. What Salem can do is simple (But stupidly overpowered), if anyone in the world is experiencing a type of negative emotion, she can transport that person to the black void for as long as they have those feelings. (Think of it like the reality marble version of the Seven Deadly Sins' Commandment of Love). Like I said, she is not a character in this story, more of a watcher to see who things play out and will only get involved if she feels the need to do so. Overall, it was fun to have her show up like this. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	73. Chapter 70 - Wait and Hope

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one has a lot of cool moments with a few of my favorite jokes so far. We see the Arc drama reach its climax, with the awesome returns of a few minor characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 70 – Wait and Hope**

 _Arc_

Jaune frantically looked down the halls for someone, "Where did Jeanne run off to in a hurry?" the male shielder said as he looked down the halls. Suddenly, heard an explosion followed by a crumbling wall, "It's already started? The Grimm are supposed to not be this close yet." He thought to himself as he ran towards the noise.

Upon turning the corner, Jaune discovered the carnage. Part of the wall to the outside was blasted down. Next to the rubble was Da Vinci, who held Dr. Roman in her arms, "Come on Romani, stay alive." She said as tears were in his eyes, but his eyes were slowly losing their light.

"What happened!?" Jaune said in panic before he heard swords clashing. He looked outside the hole in the wall to see his sister battling someone. Without knowing the who, the male shielder eyes widened in horror as he knew what that person was, "Th-That's an Alter of Jeanne!"

"Yes," Da Vinci said in a regretful voice as she looked at Dr. Roman, "We made her learn more about our enemy." She then hugged him close as tears poured down her face more, "But we didn't mean for this to happen."

Suddenly, Jaune looked to her in anger at that claim. However, that anger faded as he saw Dr. Roman's condition worsen, "Quick, let me see him." He said as he knelt. Da Vinci laid Dr. Roman's body on his back, the blood stain covering his hold chest. Jaune then placed both of his hands on the body, causing the two to glow in yellow light, "I think I can still save him." He said with hope returning to Da Vinci's eyes, but Jaune looked to her in a piercing gaze, "but you have to make sure my sister doesn't get hurt." He said with Da Vinci gaining a look of focus.

Da Vinci looked down to Jeanne and her alter fighting, "Jalter!" She screamed down towards the two, causing them to pause their fight, "Your opponent is me now." She said before jumping out of the hole in the wall.

Jaune focused on healing Dr. Roman, but one thought crossed his mind just now, "…Her name is Jalter?"

As Da Vinci free fell towards the alter aiming her metallic fist at her. the fist began to expand before rocketing towards her opponent. Jalter jumped back to dodge as the fist embedded into the ground. The metallic fist then vanished into a cloud of blue dust before a new one appeared over Da Vinci's left hand. She landed near Jeanne, "Let me handle this now." She said in a serious voice to the female Ark before looking to the alter, "It's my fault that thing was even made."

"Da Vinci, you can't fighter her alone." Jeanne warned, "I can't tell how much, but she is far stronger than Jaune Alter was."

"You bring up that wimp again," Jalter added on as she pointed her black sword at Jeanne, "And I will boil your tongue first."

"I thought you didn't feel anything for your brother," Da Vinci said with a smirk, "Maybe you're constantly lying to yourself."

"I know one thing about me is true," Jalter responded as she focused on Da Vinci, "I will deliver you a painful death!" She said before rushing at her.

Da Vinci responded in kind as Jeanne looked on in shock. The black sword collided with the metallic fist. The sword began to radiate a black flame the seared into the gauntlet, causing Da Vinci to flinch in pain, "I can fight fire with fire too!" She said as she pushed Jalter back. In the alter's stunned state, she saw Da Vinci open her metallic pale. Acting like a flamethrower, Da Vinci spread fire over Jalter's body from the palm of her hand, "Now, cool off!" Da Vinci said before making the same motion with her metallic arm. this time, a chilling wind with ice emitted from her palm. The ice put out the fire on Jalter but froze her in place for a second. In that time, Da Vinci clenched her metallic fist as she reeled it back. the metal began to enlarge as a blue pillar appeared at the end of the elbow, "Leonardo Punch!" Da Vinci declared before punching Jalter in the gut. Before the alter could react, the blue pilled retracted back into the gauntlet like a piston. The force of the motion launch Jalter across the field before colliding with a large rock, becoming buried in the rubble.

"That's amazing!" Jaune said as she looked at the battle from above.

"Phew," Da Vinci said as her breathing was slightly heavy, "This is why I like to stay on the sidelines, too tiring." She said before she noticed the rock moving slightly, "Oh, still alive." Da Vinci said before she gritted her teeth, but she had a small smile, "Well, I don't get out that often, so it is rare that I have to use this move." She then reached back and pulled out a pair of glasses, "The Three Wise Men of the East, the great god of Northern Europe, the fruit of wisdom," She changed as she pointed at the rubble with her metallic fist, her other arm prompting in up, " My intellect, my universality, it surpasses all forms of wisdom." She declared before a look of focus appeared in her eyes, a blue ball of energy began to form in the palm. Jalter then emerged from the rubble as she looked at the blue ball shot forward.

However, its movement was rather slow, "Huh?" Jalter said as she looked at it in disappointment, "That pathetic thing is your Noble Phantasm?" She said as the ball was just a few feet from her, "What a jo-!" Suddenly,

"Uomo Universale!" declared before the blue ball expanded, exploding as it engulfed Jalter. The Alter screamed through the screeching notice of the blast, while the Arc siblings shielded their eyes from the light and debris. After a few seconds, the dust settled, and a large crater was left in the side of the academy. Da Vinci looked to see nothing left in the crater, "It's over."

"Unbelievable," Jeanne said as she looked at the Da Vinci. Da Vinci turned back with a smile on her face to the female Arc, but soon realized she did not share her joy in the matter, "Is she really-" Jeanne was going to ask, but then noticed two black spears hoovering over Da Vinci, "Look out!" She warned, but it was too late.

The two spears plunged down into Da Vinci's body. One spear in her right forearm, the other in her left, destroying the metallic fist. She screamed in pain as Jeanne ran to her. However, someone kicked Da Vinci in the center of the back, launching her towards the female Arc's arms. Da Vinci passed out in her arms as Jeanne discover it was Jalter who committed the assault. The alter's armor was dented and fabric more torn. The metal headdress appeared to be basted off into pieces. She lowered her left leg from the kick as wiped the blood off her forehead, "Now that hurt." Jalter said before turning her head and spitting on the ground, blood mixed with her saliva. She then glared back to Jeanne with a sinister smile, "No more playing around." Jalter said with Jeanne knowing what that meant.

Suddenly, Jeanne summoned her flag in both hands, "Defend my brethren, my banner!" She declared, her body glowing in yellow light, "God is here with me..."

"Oh, no you don't!" Jalter responded, glowing in her purple aura, "This is the howl of my soul filled with hatred!" She then recalled back her blacked sword.

"Luminosité Eternelle!" Jeanne declared as she raised her flag.

"La Grondement du Haine!" Jalter declared as she thrust her sword forward.

As Jalter aimed her sword, a wave for flames ran straight for Jeanne. However, a wall of light covered her and Da Vinci as the fire broke into a V-shaped path. In one direction, the fire scorched the grass and soil of the plains. On the other, it collided with the walls of Chaldea, melting the stone into magma. Jaune shielded his face from the heat, being just outside of its range. Jeanne remained call as she focusses on maintaining the barrier. However, through the sea of flames, she caught a glimpse of Jalter's sick smile. Suddenly, Jeanne felt a sharp pain as five spears plunged from the ground into her back. the lifted her a few feet into the air before. Jeanne coughed a cup full of blood but did not let go of her flag. The barrier of light and the sea of flames continued to last for a minute more before slowly coming to a stop.

As the flames died down, Jalter fell to one knee. Her breathing rapid as she struggled to lift her head. as she looked forward, she saw the scorched land but gritted her teeth. The land that was in the light of the barrier remained untouched. Da Vinci, while still unconscious, was still alive. The spears that had impaled Jeanne now faded away with her falling back to the ground. Jeanne held her stomach in pain as a yellow light glowed around her wound, somewhat healing the damage on both sides. Jalter gritted her teeth, "Tch, You're too durable for your own good."

"I…I can't let this go on." Jeanne said as she slowly started to push herself up onto her knees, "If this continues, only more people will die. I have to…"

"Oh, look who changed her mind really quickly." Jalter said with a sinister smile, "And how do plan to do that when your-" Jalter said with Jeanne summoning her sword back into her hands, lowering her had. Suddenly, Jalter had a look of panic, "No, you can't be serious." She said with her breathing become more rapid, "Your other Noble Phantasm."

"La Pucelle," Jeanne said, "A suicide-type Noble Phantasm."

"Suicide!?" Jaune said from above, "S-she can't be serious."

"I never told anyone about this, not even my family. I prayed I would never have to use it." Jeanne said as she looked at the sword, "For my life, I can annihilate anything within a short range."

"You're bluffing, that cannot kill me!" Jalter shouted back, "And besides, you cannot use that move if it is done out of hate!"

"I do not hate you." Jeanne said with Jalter having a look of shock, "I hate myself for all I did to you." Jeanne said with a small smile on her face before closing her eyes, a purple gas filling the area around her, "O' Lord, I entrust this body to you…" Jeanne said as she raised the sword, the tip aimed at her heart.

"JEANNE!" Jalter and Jaune shouted at the same.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Jeanne's right arm, stopping her from finishing the motion. As she opened her eyes, she discovered it was Edmond standing next to her. He wore his normal pants and hat, but his chest was bandaged from the wounds of his battle in Grand Order, "There is no need for that."

"C-Count?" Jeanne said in shock, "How did you-?"

"You two made a commotion near the room I was recovering in. I saw what you were about to do," Edmond said before making a small smile, "I wanted to remind you of those two words."

Jeanne had a look of confusion for a second before she remembered, "Wait and hope…" She said before dropping her sword on the ground. Edmond then looked over to Jalter, a slight look of confusion in his eyes.

"Well, look who it is." Jalter said with a sinister smile, "The Count of Monte Cristo, The King of the Cavern, The Vengeance Grimm."

"My reputation processed me." Edmond said with a smirk as he looked over the altar, "I don't know who you are, or why you resemble the Saint of the Flag. But I have no question on your class." He said with the crossing of his arms, "You're an Avenger as well."

"That sounds about right," Jalter said with a shrug before standing up, noticing Edmond focusing on her more than before, "What?"

"That look in your eyes," He spoke up, "You were imprisoned."

"How can you-" Jalter said before realizing something, giving her a slight chuckle, "Oh right, you were tortured and imprisoned once as well." She said before she glared at him, pointing her sword at him, "But let me tell you, that is nothing compared to what I have been through."

"You wish for revenge, that I understand completely." Edmond responded before having a serious face, "But I cannot let you kill the Saint of the Flag." He then had a slight smile on his face as he looked at the Jalter, "Nor can I kill you, Witch of Vengeance."

"W-what do you just call me!?" Jalter responded in slight anger. However, as Jeanne looked at her alter, she noticed that her face was slightly red and the sword in her hand was shaking, "You think that will work on me as it did her!" Jalter said with Edmond having a look of confusion, Jeanne's face now turning red, "Oh come on, I know we have a crush on him."

"What?" Edmond spoke up.

"What!?" Jeanne said as her face turned redder.

"I KNEW IT!" Jaune screamed form the hole in the wall, "I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!" He said, now gaining the three's attention, "Oh…hi…huh." Jaune said in awkward silence as the three glared up at him. Suddenly, Dr. Roman coughed. As Jaune turned to him, he realized that he had fully healed and closed the wound, "He's alive, Dr. Roman is alive!" Jaune's announcement caused Da Vinci to slowly open her eyes, a smile forming on her face as a tear ran down her right cheek.

"Thank goodness," Jeanne said with a sigh of relief before she realized something, turning back to Jalter, "Wait, earlier did you 'we' have a crush on him?"

"N-no!" Jalter said, but her face was still red, "I said nothing like that!"

"That's not what I heard!" Jaune called down to Jalter.

"Shut up Dumbass!" Jalter responded back in fury. Suddenly, the group turned to the Grimm roars in the distance. They looked in horror to see a fleet of four Grimm Dragon's approaching. One flew ahead of the two others, while the fourth was trying to catch up, "Oh, with all of this drama, I forgot about their invasion." Jalter said to herself before turning back to Jeanne, "Consider yourself lucky that I have to withdraw, but I will come back to kill you." She said before having a small smirk, "That is unless you die in this war first."

"Where are you going?" Jeanne asked.

"I think I will go sightseeing for a little bit, take some time for myself." Jalter responded as she looked up at the approaching Grimm Dragon, "I think I need a vacation." With her remaining strength, Jalter launched herself into the sky. She found herself in front of the leading Grimm Dragon, dogging its attempt to devour her whole. Jalter then landed on the top of its head, her black sword glowed with a purple flame. She ran the blade into its head, causing the beast to scream, "Have fun with the other!" The Witch of Vengeance announced before pivoting her sword, causing the Grimm Dragon to turn in the corresponding direction and fly away.

"Well…" Edmond said as he saw Jalter go off into the distance, "Maybe Dragon Witch would have been a better title." He then turned to Jeanne who struggled to make eye contact with him now, "…There is a lot of things we should discuss." He said before he looked to the sky, "But we have more important things to deal with right now." He said with the pair Grimm Dragon's roaring.

Jeanne looked at them with him, a returned look of focus in her face, "Right." She said with a nod.

The two then turned to see Jaune running towards them, slightly out of breath, "I put Doctor Roman in a room, he should be safe." He then looked up at the approaching Grimm Dragons, "You think those are-"

"No," Jeanne quickly answered as she looked at the two monsters, "Those things are full of hate, no signs of restraint in their movement." She then heard the far of Grimm Dragon roar, but something was different. She looked closer at that one and noticed something. This Grimm had no bone armor of any kind, rather a set of curved black horns. While its skill was black, the belly was a lighter color. On the stomach was a green luminescent marking that she had seen somewhere before, "Wait, is that-" Jeanne said as the far-off Dragon roared, catching up to one of the two Grimm Dragon's, and biting one of them in the neck. The Marked Dragon brought to the Grimm monster to the ground, slamming the body into the dirt as it broke the creature's neck in half. The Marked Dragon roar a final time as the Grimm Dragon laid motionless.

Jumping off the Marked Dragon's head was the Magus of Flower's, "That was close." Merlin said as he looked over to the three students, "I finished just in time."

"Finished what?" Edmond said as he looked up at the Marked Dragon, "And what is that!?"

"Not what, who," Merlin said with a wink before the Marked Dragon glowed in a green light. Its body began to compress and shrink, taking the form of a man with long grey hair and a black attire under silver armor. Moreover, while he looked human, he still had curved horns, wings, and tail.

"Professor Siegfreid!?" Edmond responded in confusion.

"Sieg!" Jeanne said as she ran over to him, hugging him, "You're back to normal."

"Well, mostly," Siegfreid responded with a comforting smile.

"Yes, I am afraid this is the best I could do." Merlin responded before a smirk, "But considering your new abilities, I think you can manage." He said with Siegfreid turning to him with a smile.

"What a relief," Jaune said as he walked over to his sister and the Dragon professor, "It looked like everything wor-"

"AHH," Siegfreid said in shock before punching Jaune in the face, directly in the nose. As the male shielder put his hands to his face, muffling his screams of pain. Edmond and Jeanne's eyes widened before they looked to Siegfreid, who had a look of horrifying realization fill his face, "Oh, I am so sorry." He apologized as he went over to Jaune, "You just looked exactly like-"

"Yeah, I know, it's okay," Jaune said through the pain.

Suddenly, the group heard the Grimm Dragon on the ground roar. The beast looked like it was recovering and starting to get up. Siegfreid turned and readied to transform, but Merlin whistled to him. A familiar two-handed sword was created in the Magus of Flowers' hands. He tossed it to Siegfreid who caught it with a smile before closing his eyes. He pointed the sky with both hands on the handle, light green energy filling the area, "The evil dragon shall fall, and the world will reach its sunset." He said as a pillar of energy erupted from the sword, "Felling blow, Balmung!" Siegfried declared before unleashing his Noble Phantasm. The beam encompassed the entire Grimm Dragon's body, slowly evaporating it into nothingness. After the smoke cleared, he let out a sigh before turning back to Merlin and Jeanne, "It's good to be back."

"It looks like there will be more where that came from," Merlin said as he saw the approaching wave of more Grimm on the ground.

"What about the other Grimm Dragon?" Edmond pointed out as Jeanne helped up Da Vinci.

"Oh, that one we don't need to worry about?" Merlin responded.

"Why!?" Jaune asked in shock, "It's heading for the town!"

"Correct, but more specifically," Merlin said with a wink and smirk, "It's heading for the temple."

In the town, the Grimm Dragon landed at the bottom of a set of stone stairs, "Oh my, a visitor," The monster looked up to see a Sasaki Kojiro casually walking down the stone steps. The long katana was unsheathed and in his right hand. He looked down at the Grimm Dragon from the high ground, "You must have been what scared the swallows away." The Grimm Dragon roared at the temple guard, but half was into its howl, Sasaki rushed forward with his blade in mid-swing, "Concealed Sword! Swallow Reversal!" he declared as the Grimm Dragon's roar suddenly ended, remaining in a petrified state, and the temple guard landed back on the steps, "To a mindless creature like yourself, it appeared as if I struck you once before your last breath end." Sasaki said before the Grimm Dragon's lower jaw fell off onto the ground, "But in truth, I stuck you three times before the end of my breath." Sasaki said before an X-shape slash was made visible on the Grimm Dragon's head, causing the skull to break into chunks before landing on the ground. The temple guard watched as the Grimm Dragon began to evaporate into a black mist, causing him to sigh, "It is so rare that I get to have fun." Sasaki said in disappointment but was still smirking while walking back up the stone stairs towards the temple.

 **AN: There you go, the war has started in full swing now. Romani and Da Vinci barely manage to live by the Jalter onslaught, (With Da Vinci pulling a lot from Yang with her moves there). I really liked the using the Noble Phantasms this chapter, especially the clash between Jeanne and Jalter near middle. Edmond showed up to help both of them out, leading to Jaune proving he was not an idiot…in this case. Jalter left the battle, but Merlin is back. He fixed Siegfreid, making him a pseudo-faunus that can turn into what is considered Fafnir. Siegfried and Sasaki did what they do best this chapter, kill dragons. However, the war has just started now. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	74. Chapter 71 - Mad Love

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support as we head in to the final stages of this story. I have mapped out the rest of the series so I can be a bit more transparent about what to see next chapter. This one has the battle against two alters at separate locations. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 71 – Mad Love**

 _Kiyohime_

Riding in the back seat a jeep across the plains of Apocrypha, Kiyohime and Cat looked down at the scroll howling a map of the landscape. They saw their icon approaching a red dot icon, "He should up ahead." Kiyohime said with sight trepidation in her voice, "I hope he's okay."

"Don't worry," Kiyohime looked up to hear Taiga speaking in a comforting voice. She was riding shotgun as Li Shuwen was driving, "We'll save your boyfriend." Her words caused Kiyohime to smile. However, she had a look of confusion at Taiga attire. Her normal gi was replaced with an orange and white onesie, the combination of colors and patterns representing that of a jaguar. On her head was sent of fake animal ears, that caused the two faunus in the back to glare at her, "…What, you two know I am half faunus." Taiga said before crossing her arms and pouting, "It's not my fault I was born with cute cat ears."

"I'm more concerned about that outfit," Cat responded, "That's what you wear to fight in our kingdom's largest battle."

"This coming from the girl who wore a maid outfit." Li Shuwen said with a smirk as Cat now pouted, "Our team was known as The Jaguar Warriors in our old land. And Taiga earned the title of Jaguar Man among us."

"Jaguar 'Man'?" Cat and Kiyohime said with Taiga's face turning red.

"…I miswrote our team title on the application form when I came here." She said with her face turning slightly red, Li Shuwen snickering, "Hey, I was just learning the language, but they wouldn't let me change it!"

"Kakakaka!" Li Shuwen laughed before he noticed something in the distance, causing his expression to become serious, "We're here." He said with the others looking forward.

Kiyohime's eyes widened as she saw Ren, his body mangled as he hung suspended in a cylindrical prison. The prison was a red energy forcefield with a black glyph on the top and bottom. Next to Ren was his alter, who cackled as he looked at the approaching car, "Hehehe." he spoke with his body twitched.

"Ren's teammates told me that we would be up against things called alters," the draconic faunus spoke, "But I didn't think they would make one out of my Ren."

"Two Rens!?" Cat pointed out, "That other one thou, he doesn't look sane."

"I am willing to bet this one is not an assassin class," Taiga added on, "This one looks like a berserker." She said before Li Shuwen stopped the jeep.

"Yes," Li Shuwen said before having a slightly eager smile, "I wonder how strong this one is compared to the original."

"Considering he is letting us park so close." Taiga responded to him, "He's either really confident he can beat all four of us or he is really insane." She said before Ren Alter laughed louder, "…Yep, he's insane." Taiga assumed before turning back to the two students, "We'll take on the alter, you find a way to free the real Ren." She said with then nodding.

"Incoming!" Li Shuwen announced as Ren Alter rushed forward, reeling his right arm back with a wide smile on his face. The two made it out of the jeep as the alter punching into the passenger side door.

As Ren Alter retracted his arm, he took the door off with it, "Hehehe," he said as he looked at the damage.

"He seems to pack a bit more of a punch than the original." Li Shuwen said before assuming a fighting stance. Ren Alter turned to him with a sneer pulling the door off with his other arm, "I get it now, where the original's semblance was to suppress negative emotions. You seem to be able to heighten them for yourself. Giving you the capacity of power normal assumed by Grimm."

"Hehehehehe," Ren Alter said as he mirrored Li Shuwen's stance.

"Just like a Grimm," Li Shuwen responded as Ren Alter laughed, "You are a mindless beast!" he said before the two rushed towards one another. The two engaged in close range combat, each attempting to land a critical palm strike.

On the other end of the field, Cat and Kiyohime ran over to the trapped Ren. As the fox faunus put her right claw on the red barrier, red lightning sparked back, "Ouch!" Cat cried as she looked down at the glyphs, "I think I remember these magic symbols from a class."

"Me too," Kiyohime responded, "They create a barrier that will only be dispelled by a highly experienced mage, or when the user dies."

"Yeah," Cat said before she looked back at the insane alter, "And I bet I know who cast this barrier."

"Hehehehe," Ren alter said before he turned to the two girls with a wide grin. Li Shuwen tried to strike the unaware foe, but the alter avoided the attack. Instead, the professor in the red gi saw Ren Alter rush towards Kiyohime ad Cat, "HAHAHAHA!" He laughed as he ran.

Suddenly, a blunt object hit Ren Alter in the back of his head, causing him to faceplant in the ground. Ren Alter then pushed himself up to see in was Taiga whose right arm extended as if she had thrown something. Ren Alter then glared at her with a wide smile. Suddenly again, something hit him in the back on the head. He did not fall as far as before and looked to see it was an oddly shaped lance what had boomeranged into him those two times. The head of the lance of a comically large animal paw, which Taiga caught the middle of the pole of, "If that's the case, time for a sure kill attack!" Taiga said before pointing the lance to the sky, a large orange and yellow glyph on the ground under her. in an instant, a large orange hand claw-like nails erupted from the head of her lance, "You failed my class, Great Death Claw!" Taiga declared as she grabbed the pole with two hands, thrusting it downward. Ren Alter cackled as he looked at the claw come down, crushing his body into the dirt, causing silence to fill the area.

"Did she do it?" Cat asked as she looked over to Kiyohime.

"If she did," Kiyohime said before noticing Ren still in the barrier, "Why is the barrier still up?"

"What!?" Taiga said as she looked at the energy palm fade, "But I know I squished him." Suddenly, her eyes widened as she saw something in the ground, "A hole?"

"Oh no," Kiyohime said as she remembered what had happened to her in the first round of Grand Order, "Get back, he's going to pop up." She said with Taiga and Li Shuwen jumping back in responding.

However, nothing happened. Another silence fell over the group, as they waited for Ren Alter to pop out of the hole. "Wait a minute," Cat said as her faunus ears twitched, "Do I hear…digging?"

Suddenly, Ren Alter emerged from the ground behind Kiyohime. She turned to see him already reeling his right palm back, a large smile on his face, "HA!" he said before punching the draconic faunus in the face.

"Kiyohime!" the three said as she fell to the ground.

"HAHAHA!" Ren Alter laughed as he looked at Kiyohime slowly push herself up, "HAHAHAHA!"

"You…for second, I was fooled," Kiyohime said as she stood up, but still looking at the ground.

"Ha?" Ren Alter responded as he tilted his head to the left.

"You look like him, but you are not My Ren," She said as blue blames radiated around her body, burning the grass around her, "My Ren would never hit me. He is a kind man. But you, you're a fake, a false, your very exitance is-" Kiyhime said before glaring at Ren Alter with flame-filled eyes of hate, "A LIE!" She said before spawning her lance on fire and doing an upward slash faster than the alter could react.

"HA!" Ren Alter said as he back up in pain, the burning wound scorching his skin, "Hehehe." He said as the wound slowly started to heal over time.

"It seems a prolonged fight will not work against this foe. After the first strike, he will heal before the second." Li Shuwen said before assuming a fighting stance, "So, I will make sure there is No Second Strike." He said as pillars of fire radiated from his body and high into the sky, "Anger! Mastery! Seven wounds of gushing blood..." Li Shuwen declared before rushing towards Ren Alter, "A purified death!" he declared as the fire vanished around him.

"Hehehehe," Ren Alter laughed as he saw the attack coming, but could not react fast enough to dodge the hit. A ripple of energy radiated over the front of his body, while Li Shuwen stood behind him a few feet away, his left arm raised as if he made a strike, "Hehehe," Ren Alter said as Li Shuwen lowered his arm in a relaxed stance, walking away from his opponent, paying him no mind anymore, "Hehe-" Suddenly, Ren Alter's body exploded in a pillar of fire. His cackling turned to screams as his body quickly turned to ashes.

Li Shuwen scoffed before he walked over to Kiyohime and Cat, "The true Ren was not strong by any means. But his alter," the professor in the red gi said before smirking, "He was just a joke." He said before having a large smile on his face, "Kakakakaka!" he laughed with the two-girl looked at him in awkwardness.

"Ah man," Taiga said in disappointment as she walked over to the group, "And I wanted credit for taking out one of those things."

Suddenly, the red barrier holding up Ren fade, his body falling to the ground, "Ren!" Kiyohime said in a panic as she ran over to him. After a quick lookover of his body, a tear of joy fell from her right eyes, "He's alive." She said with a smile as she hugged her unconscious boyfriend. As she cried in relief, the others looked on with smiles on their faces at this happy ending.

 _Neo_

Neo drove the chariot as Medb reached into her pocket, "We should be close, but let me check to see-" Medb was saying with the scroll in her hand as Neo pointed forward. The pink-haired queen looked to see Cu Chulainn held in the red cylindrical barrier, "Huh, closer than I thought." She then squinted to see something standing next to the blue-haired lancer. The creature then turned around, revealing himself as the Alter of Cu Chulainn, "Oh," Medb said before having an interesting smile on her face, "Who is that?"

Neo took out her scroll and typed a quick message, causing Medb to receive a text, "I think it is called an Alter." Medb read out loud, causing Neo to send another text, "Alter equals bad version." The pink-haired queen then looked back to Neo with a smirk, "So, you're saying this version is a Bad Boy." Medb said with Neo closing her eyes pinking the bridge of her nose. Medb looked back to Cu Alter, "I wonder if this version is easier to make mine."

Cu Alter sighed as he saw the chariot approaching, his eyes half opened in dullness "Oh great, the first ones to show up are that annoying girl and her student. Here I was wanting an actual fight to kick off this war." He said before spawning Gae Bolg, one that was now much larger and had more spikes near the spearhead, "I guess they can entertain me for a few minutes." Cu Alter said before bursting forward on full sprint a sinister smile on his face.

Neo readied her umbrella but then heard the sound in the back on the chariot again. She and Medb turned to see someone on the roof of the chariot. Neo did not recognize her, but Medb did as the divine instructor, "Scathach!" the pink-haired queen said as Scathach spawned two red lances, one in each hand.

Scathach lunged form the carriage, heading straight for Cu Alter. The alter of the blue-haired lancer dug his heels in the ground to stop himself, taking up a defective stance with this Gae Bolg. Scathach made and x-shaped slash with her two lances, pushing Cu Alter back a few meters before she landed on the ground, "Oh," Cu Alter said as wide smile came on his face, "Now I'm motivated." He said as Scathach looked at him with a cold stare.

Medb glared as Neo stopped the chariot next to the divine instructor, "Hey!" The pink-haired queen called out to Scathach, "How and why are you here!?"

"I placed a hidden tracker on Cu Chulainn to warn me if his life was ever in too much danger" Scathach responded, "So, I rode on the back of your noble phantasm. Assuming you were heading to the same location."

"You put a tracker on my Cu," Medb said in anger as she crossed her arms, "What a violation of his trust." She said with Neo smirking at Medb.

"I don't care how you found him, I am his Alter," Cu Alter said before pointing his spear at Scathach, "Now, I can finally face you without any restrains." He then had a sinister smile on his face, "This is where you die." Scathach looked back at Cu alter as she readied her lances for battle. However, she had a look of confusion as Neo walked past her, smirking as she looked at the alter of the blue-haired lancer, "Huh, you want to fight me?" Cu alter as he looked down at the pint-sized girl.

Neo took a deep breath before glaring up at him, "No," She spoke at him before blinking, changing the orientation on her eye color, "I want to kill you."

"Why you!" Cu alter responded in anger before plunging his lance down toward her. Neo backflipped to dodged before leaping forward. While overhead, she unsheathed her hidden blade from her umbrella, slashing him in the right side of the neck. Cu Alter coughed black blood as more gushed out from his open wound. Neo landed behind and smiled in success. However, she noticed the large, centipede-like tail horizontally sweep towards her. She ducked to avoid the hit, then jumped back to gain distance from her opponent, "Too shallow, that was your second mistake," Cu Alter said as he slowly turned around to face her, "Your first was speaking up, to begin with!" He said before rushing her with the Gae Bolg in hand.

Neo dodged his subsequent strikes as Scathach and Medb looked on in confusion, "What does she think she is doing!?" Medb as the divine instructor, "She is not strong enough to beat him alone."

"Yes, and she knows that," Scathach said as she looked at Neo grinning as she dodged. However, a line of sweat ran down her forehead, "If this Cu lands one hit, she's dead." She said as Cu Alter slammed his lance against Neo's body, a smile on his face. Though he had a look of confusion followed as the splattering of blood was replaced with shards of glass. He then looked to see Neo rush straight for him, plunging her hidden blade towards his heart. As the blade pierced his skin, the odd red symbols began to glow, and her blade bounced off. Neo recovered and landed a few feet away as Cu Alter chuckled, "Runes to strengthen his unarmored body, not to mention his overwhelming strength."

"Yeah," Medb said with a large smile, "Almost makes me want to switch sides." She said with Scathach glaring at her, "Almost." She responded before looking back at Neo dodging, "Still, why is doing this? I remember her mentioning she has someone she likes, even a couple of friends. Why put her life on the line like this?"

"If you have someone you love, you will risk everything to protect them," Scathach responded before looking at Neo start to get out of breath, "To her, she is fighting so others do not have to risk their lives in this battle."

"Huh," Medb said as she looked at Neo. Suddenly, she looked to see the pint-sized girl's eyes glanced over to somewhere. Medb followed the gaze to see she was looking at the other Cu Chulainn in the red energy prison. "She is distracting the alter, we can save Cu," Medb said before she and Scathach ran over to the blue haired lancer.

Upon arriving, the divine instructor examined the red barrier, causing her to slightly grit her teeth, "If I had changed to my caster class, this would be easy to break."

"Can you still do it?" Medb asked.

"I need to focus," Scathach responded before closing her eyes, placing her hand a few centimeters away from the red barrier, sparks connecting with her palm, "Ancient rune, Eeny, meeny-"

"Hurry up," Medb said with Scathach opening her eyes to glare back at her.

Suddenly, the two heard Neo screamed in pain. They looked back to her body, collided with the centipede-like tail, bouncing on off the ground as Cu Alter's wounds had fully healed. Gasping for breath, Neo pushed herself up. Her face was dripping with sweat and her jacket was ripped, "I'm done with this pathetic excuse for a battle, this will end it." Cu Alter said as his body glowed in a black flame, "All curses unleashed, there will be no mercy." He chanted before the flames instantly went out, revealing a change to his body. The Gae Blog was longer in his hand, rather it merged with his armor to create a helmet and claws of the red lance, "Now you face against despair itself!" Cu Alter declared as he rushed at Neo, whose irises turned white in fear, "Curruid Coinchenn!" As he rushed forward, Medb and Scathach looked in terror as they knew they could not make it to her in time.

Neo could not move as she saw the attack coming, too out of breath to dodge like the others. In her last few moments, the only sound she heard was her heartbeat. With the first beat, the image of the first time she had kissed Jekyll came to her mind. With the second beat, the image of Cinder standing next to her as they faced Emerald and Mercury, the first time she had met all three of them. The third beat, a small scene played in her mind. Neo walked over to a sleeping Roman at a worktable. As she looked at him, a smirk formed on her face as she noticed his bowler hat. Slowly, she took off the hat without waking him, then placed it on her head. She then smirked as she straightened her back, walking with her umbrella being used as a cane. For a moment, she was lost in the act, but then stopped as she realized Roman had awakened. Her face turned slightly red as her iris turned white. Roman then had a slight chuckle as Neo pouted. The fourth beat, Neo saw the claws of the weapon inch towards her face. She decided to close her eyes, letting the memories before being her last thoughts.

After a few seconds, Neo felt nothing. Not in the way of numbs towards death, but as if nothing hit her. She opened her eyes to see the claws were still inches from her face, but Cu Alter had been stopped. At the center of his chest was a hole that ran through his back. Neo turned around to see the woman with short purple hair, her business suit burned, and jacket thrown to the side. Steam radiated from the right gloved as her position suggest she delivered a punch. A metallic ball hovered in the air, dented and charred from all angles, fell to the ground in front of her.

"Bazett!" Medb shouted as she had a look of shock, "How!?"

"That is a long story," Medb and Scathach turned to see the head of the church limping towards them. His right arm was limp to his side as a splint of made around his left leg, "The short is that she and I were ambushed and left for dead." Kirei said with a smile before looking down at his right arm, seeing many jagged red markings, half of which were a deeper red than the other half, "What saved my life was that I had been given multiple command seals beforehand that I used on myself." He then looked over to Bazett, "For her, the ability to self-resurrect did the trick."

"I see, so she did master that ability," Scathach said before looking back to Bazett, seeing her glaring at Cu Alter, "And her Noble Phantasm saved Neo." She said before looking at the "Fargarach, an attack the pierces an enemy's heart before they can connect their ultimate move."

"Yikes," Medb said before she realized something turning back to Kirei, "Wait, how did you two get to this location?"

"She said she had a tracker implanted in Cu Chulainn to let her know if he was ever about to die." He responded, "So, we followed it here on our way to meet back with Chaldea." His answer caused the two ladies to look back at Cu in the red energy prison, "What?"

The helmet faded from Cu Alter's head, revealing his bloodshot eyes, "Bazett…" Cu Alter said before coughing black blood on the ground in front of Neo, "You think piercing my heart is enough to kill me!" He said before looking back toward her. However, Bazett leaped towards him and delivered a straight cross to the center of his face, knocking him back a few feet. Cu Alter glared back as Bazett assumed her fighting stance, "You don't even know what I am!"

"A chaotic evil version of my partner, that much is obvious," Bazett responded, "That's why I need to kill you."

Cu Alter chuckled as Bazett remained stoic, "Try if you can." He said before he noticed Scathach walking towards them, "You wish to face me now?" He said with her having a similar emotionless deminer to Bazett's, "This will be a fun battle."

"This is not going to be a battle." Scathach responded pointing one of her red lances to the sky, "Because that is what you want." She said with him looking at her in confusion, "Live or die, you don't care. You just wish for conflict against a worthy foe." She said with a red pulse overcoming the area, "I will not give you that luxury."

"What are you doing!?" Cu Alter before he noticed something. His breath was cold, and a shadow had encompassed the area. He turned around to see a massive stone set of doors the size of a mountain.

"The Land of Shadows, a place that even Grimm fear," Scathach declared as a chilling wind came over the area as the doors opened, "The Portal to a realm brimming with death, Gate of Skye!" She said before a swirling black portal emerged from the Gate's, acting as a vacuum to all with the area.

Cu Alter felt his body pulled towards the gate, his heels skidding against the ground, he gritted his teeth as he dug her claws into the ground to stop himself. Bazett turned to Neo, one arm holding onto the pint-sized girl while the other held their position on the ground. Kirei used a set of black keys to create a small blockade, blocking the pull of the Gate of Sky from him, Medb, and the imprisoned Cu. However, he looked to see Cu Alter clawing his way towards Scathach, "It's not strong enough to pull him in." Kirei said as he gritted his teeth, "Is there nothing that stops this monster?" Suddenly, Medb had an idea. She looked back at the imprisoned Cu and smile.

Cu Alter was a few feet away Scathach, who had a line of sweat as she tried to maintain her focus. Cu Alter raised his right claw to slash her. However, he looked to see Medb riding atop her Chariot of Love with a smile on her face. The bulls crashed into Cu Alter before Medb pulled his body close to hers. "Are you insane!?" he screamed at her.

"Maybe, but I am finally getting what I want," Medb said as she looked into his eyes, "I can make 'a Cu' mine and mine alone."

"You fool, this will kill us both!" Cu Alter said as the chariot ran straight for Gate of Skye, "You crazy bit-"

Suddenly, Medb pulled Cu Alter's face to her, their lips locked cutting off his last words. She closed her eyes for a second in passion before opening them, glancing over to see Neo and Bazett. The pink-haired queen winked before she and the alter of the blue-haired lancer entered in the Land of Shadows, the Gate of Skye closing behind them.

A few moments later.

Cu Chulainn slowly regained consciousness as his eyes slowly opened. He looked to discover himself not in the red energy prison, but rather laying on his back. he looked up to see Scathach and Bazett looking down on him, "W-what happened."

"You'll have to enlighten us," Scathach responded, "You were at the fishing town, correct?"

"I was," Cu Chulainn said before holding his head in pain, "But it is all still pretty fuzzy."

"We saved you from what was called an Alter, Your Alter." Bazett responded with her arms crossed, "Medb sacrificed herself to ensure Scathach would be able to banish the Alter to the Land of Shadow."

"What!?" Cu Chulainn responded, "Are they-"

"Dead," Scathach responded, "I have told you about the Land of Shadows before. If they are alive, they will wish they were dead."

"Yes," Bazett said before glancing away at the two, "What an unlucky pair." She said under her breath and through her teeth. Cu and Scathach looking at her in confusion.

In the distance, Neo and Kirei sat in the grass, "Yes, follow these coordinates for our rescue." He said before a few seconds passed, then closed the scroll, "Considering the chaos, we may be waiting a while." He said as he passed the scroll back to Neo, her iris changed back to their brown and pink. She changed the orientation of her eye color as she looked down at the scroll, smiling as she texted. Kirei looked at her with a slight smile, "When your team first came here, I did not have the opportunity to fully investigate you and that girl Emerald Sustrai. Both of you fell under my radar of…complicated background." He said with Neo glancing back at him, "But as I have had time to think, I remembered something. Your name, Neopolitan. That would make you one of the-" he was saying until Neo put her finger to her own lips, making a shushing noise. Kirei smirked as he looked at her, "Very well, I will keep it a secret for now." he said with Neo smirking back returning to her text.

Back in Chaldea, Jekyll looked down the halls for some, an aura of panic radiating from his body. Suddenly, he felt his scroll vibrate with a text. As he read it, a smile returned to his face, _"Still alive."_

 **AN: There you go, Ren Alter is the weakest of the alter, stronger than the original, but unable to match up against the likes of Li Shuwen and the others for very long. It was also fun giving Taiga a bit more backstory and having Kiyohime affair her love to Ren is genuine. Cu Alter is more of threat and could have won against the group, but thanks to Neo giving Scathach more time to realized what Cu Alter was after, she knew the best way to deal with him. And it worked thanks to Medb forcing her and Cu Alter into the Land of Shadows, (If Cu Alter was still alive, he would need to play a children's card game to escape. But with his luck stat still bad, he'll most likely brick in his starting hand). Bazett and Kirei are alive, having made it to this part of the battlefield. Bazett shows how resilient she really is and has a couple of the best abilities in the series. As for Kirei's little conversation with Neo, it has no barring on this story, but does set up for something I may do in the future with that character.**

 **Of all the coming battles, these are the two I would describe as 'esay wins.' Each chapter will have the difficulty rise in the foe that need to be defeated by our heroes. In the next chapter, we will see how Weiss' group fairs against their opponents.**


	75. Chapter 72 - Fire and Ice

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. We get an epic battle in this one with characters giving up a lot for the ones they love. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 72 – Fire and Ice**

 _Weiss_

As the airship rocketed and wobbled across the sky with the heiress as the pilot, "Uh, Ice Queen?" Nobu turned to Weiss, "Think you could straighten her out a bit."

"Don't call me that," Weiss responded as she looked ahead, "And I'm trying, but this thing too janky."

"Well, you have the Riding skill, right?" Elizabeth asked to form the back seat.

"No, I don't," Weiss responded, her face turning slightly red, "But it doesn't matter, I can fly this. I have seen one flown before." Suddenly, the airship dropped a few meters before steading out, "…That was the wind." Weiss lied before focusing again.

"How do you not have the riding skill; every Saber class has it at least at Rank E!" Nero shouted back as the airship continued to wobble.

"Well, except Musashi. Poor girl cannot stay on a horse to save her life." Tamamo said before realizing something, "Come to think of it, where has she been for the last-" Suddenly, the airship dipped again, launching the fox faunus into the roof before slamming her body back to the floor, "OWWW!" She yelled in pain.

"Sorry," Weiss responded, but Tamamo heard her other teammates snickering.

"That it!" Tamamo said as she stood up, "Let me fly!"

"No way, I should fly this." Nero said in confidence, "Umu, I have the Riding skill."

"Ha, you and the word skill might as well be antonyms." Tamamo responded, "At least, that's what everyone was saying after your display in Grand Order."

"Why you," Nero said in a rage, "At least I didn't get dead last like you!"

"Yes, but you are the only saber who didn't get first or second." Elizabeth smugly spoke up, "You got fifth, same as me."

"You gave up," Tamamo said with her arms crossed, "That's worse than the last place in my book."

"Hey, but of all of us, I am the one closest to full strength because of that fact." Elizabeth responded with her hands on her hips, "That type of planning that makes me a great team leader."

"You're not the leader," Nero responded, "I am."

"No," Tamamo responded in spit, "I am!"

"I AM!" Elizbeth retorted.

"I AM!" Nero spoke back

"I AM!" Tamamo responded.

"SHUT UP!" Weiss shouted back, "I am sick of listening to you three argue about stupid crap while your friend is in danger!" She said with the three members of went quiet, "Listen, I have been there. Back when my team first form, I thought I could be a better leader than a simple grade skipper." She then turned to look back at the three, "But then, I had to take a moment to think about what was best for the team, my friends, not myself. That's when I-" She then saw that the three girls had a look of horror in their eyes, "Are you three paying attention to me!?"

"Hey!" Nobu said as she nudged, "Eyes in front!" She said with Weiss turning back to see a large white mound, "We're going to crash into that mountain!" The Grimm Archer said in panic before Weiss jerked the wheel back, pulling the airship upwards. Just barely, the airship skimmed by the white mountain and flew over.

"Phew," Weiss sighed as her heart was racing before she had a realization, "Wait, Apocrypha doesn't have any mountains. It's a flat kingdom." She said with everyone realizing the same thing. They looked out to get a better look at the mountain discovering it was not a mountain at all.

The white they had seen was more like a vail, covering the back of a female humanoid monster. The creature's skin was a pale white mixed with a light blue. Its hands were massive, equal in stature to the rest of her torso. At the center of her chest and palms were a cylindrical hole with a free-floating cube at the center. Her hair was a similar white and its yellow dead eyes glared up at the airship, "AAAAAAA!" The monster cried as Tamamo noticed something.

"Ah, does that thing look familiar?" The fox faunus asked.

"Yeah, I look a lot like Altera." Nero responded as Elizabeth took out her scroll, "Is this the alter, or whatever they call them."

"I don't know," Elizabeth responded as she looked at the beacon, "But Altera's signal is coming from that thing," She then looked back to see the creatures massive right-hand swing at them, "Look out!" Elizabeth warned with Weiss pulling the controls of the airship.

"AAAAAA!" The monster cried as she just grazed the back engines of the airship with her swing, setting them on fire. The airship began to spin out of control and quickly descend.

"Damnit!" Weiss said before she left the pilot seat, "Everyone jump out!" She said before grabbing the emergency release on the hatch. The other looked at the heiress in shock before she was rocketed out of the airship. They then followed to discover Weiss creating multiple black glyph platforms as she made her way to the ground. Using them to ease there falling, the five girls landed on the ground before the airship crashed, exploding on impact. Weiss sighed before she looked up at the monster.

"What is this thing?" Nobu exclaimed and pointed up, "That almost the size of a Goliath!"

"And, is it…" Nero said as she looked at the monster's face, "Crying?"

"Jaune and Pyrrha mentioned the Alter they fought," Weiss responded, "But they also mentioned that a professor was turned into a Grimm though unspeakable means." She said before she looked up at the monster's eyes, "The way they realized it wasn't a pain was in its eyes, the signs of something fighting what it was turned into."

"So, that really is Altera," Nero said with her eyes dropped in sadness, "How do we turn her back to normal."

"If the signal incoming from inside that thing, then we can blast her out." Nobu recorded before she turned to the white titan, spawning dozens of her rifles. Then opened fire on the monster, hitting the right back thigh. However, the white titan did not break pace, "Uh, that was supposed to do more damage." Tamamo spawned the massive balls of fire and ice, launching them at the white titan, but the monster paid them no mind, continue its path, "Where is it going?"

"Back towards Chaldea!" Elizabeth realized, "If that thing attacks the town, there will be no survivors!"

"Most of the citizens should be evacuated to the Hanging Garden," Weiss responded, "It's defensive are strong but against that thing…"

"We need to stop it now!" Nero spoke with determination.

"Agreed," Tamamo added on before glaring at the white titan, "To think someone would turn Altera into a monster of destruction like this. It's despicable."

"How do we get its attention?" Elizabeth asked.

"The only way we are getting that thing to notice us is with something of equal size." Nobu said before a lightbulb went off in her head, "Oh Ice Queen." Nobu said as she turned to Weiss with a smirk, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I am, but it won't work," the heiress responded with the Grimm Archer having a look of confusion, "With the stamina we have left, we cannot make a summon sizable enough to take on that thing. We need something like a command seal to help up." She said with the group going silent, "We need more magical energy."

Suddenly, Tamamo spoke up, "If you used my mirror as a catalyst?" She said with everyone turning to her. The fox faunus then spawned her mirror in her hands, "It should have just enough power for you two to make that summon. I have stored enough magical energy in it that I didn't need a professor's command seal in Grand Order."

"You saw how that worked out for you." Nero commented before looking at Tamamo hold the mirror close to her chest, "Tamamo, you love that mirror."

"Yeah, didn't you say it was from a boy you liked," Elizbeth added, "If we do this, you could lose your Noble Phantasm."

"Not to mention this could also drain you of your magical energy by proxy," Weiss added on, "After we do the summon, you'll be defenseless."

"All of what you said is true," Tamamo said as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. In her mind she saw the image a young man in a white robe with brown hair, "But, Altera's wish was that she would destroy all Grimm so that what happened to her town would never happen again." She then had a look of confidence as she looked at her group, "We cannot let her be a part of this invasion, we need to stop her." She said with Elizabeth and Nero smiling.

"Okay, let's do this." Weiss said before turning to Nobu, "And by the way, I'm controlling the summon." She said before a large white glyph formed on the ground, expanding over the group of students with a cold breeze. Tamamo's mirror hovered in the air as it glowed in a similar white light.

"Oh no, you aren't," Nobu said as she spawned her sword, smirking at the heiress, "With my guitar destroyed, you can't control the crimson skeleton alone." She said as a red aura burned in the white glyph.

"Fine," Wiess said with a smile, spawning her Myrtenaster, "We'll control it together." She said with Nobu nodding. At the same time, the two stabbed the glyph with their weapons. The red and white aura's mixed, the white glyph acting as a platform rising the five into the air. Underneath them formed the red skeleton engulfed in flames. However, the frame soon accepted the ice armor forming around its body. The body was encompassed in the cold knight armor, the flames radiating out the joints. The ice blade formed in its left hand as the night tightened its grip around it. The group's platform stopped over the knight. Just as the helmet was formed around the skull, a red gleaming aura radiated through the visor.

"Wow!" Elizabeth said in shock as she looked forward, seeing the white titan at eye level, "It's as big as that thing!" She then looked to see the fox faunus fall to her knees, "Tamamo!"

"I'm fine," Tamamo said as her face dripped with sweat, she looked to see her mirror slowly fade away before her eyes. then glared back at white titan, "Let's stop this thing."

Nobu and Weiss smirked as they tightened their grips on their weapons, causing the Knight to charge forward. When within range, the knight raised the sword over its head before delivering a downward slash into the Titan's back. the blade cut past the veil before cleaving into the skin, but the cut was not deep. The Titan then turned back the knight, letting out a painful screech, "AAAAAAA!"

"That got its attention!" Nobu said in glee.

"Yes, but that wasn't enough damage," Weiss responded, "How do we destroy this thing?"

"What if we destroy those," Nobu then noticed the three cubes laired around the Titan's body, "I have played enough games to know if you break three of anything in a boss fight, you win." She said with Weiss looking at her with a deepen expression, "What, trust me on this." She said before looking back at the Titan, seeing it swing its right arm, "Incoming!"

Weiss then turned back to see the large palm coming at them. She then caused the Knight to block with its sword, the force of the collision pushing the Knight back by the heels of the boots. Wiess then looked to see another swing by the other arm. rather than a block, the heiress aimed the sword for the cube in the left palm. The Knight stabbed the cube, causing the cube to explode in an orangish blast of energy, "AAAAAA!" The Titan cried in pain as it stepped backward, shaken from the damage.

"That actually worked!?" Nero commented as Nobu stood proud. The Knight then rushed forward to slice the other cube in the right palm. However, the Titan closed its right palm into in a fist, punching the knight in the center chest plate. The Knight was launched backward, almost falling over from the force of the impact.

Weiss and the others felt the recoiled of the hit. She then looked down to see the large dent in the armor accompanied by the sound of ice cracking and bones snapping, "Not good, another hit like that, and the summon is destroyed."

"Well, let's spawn a shield." Nob suggested with Weiss glaring at her, "Oh right, low on energy already."

"AAAAA!" The turned to see the Titan cry as it made an orange ball of energy formed in its hand.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth as tears from her in eyes, "Damnit!" Elizabeth said as she spawned her lance, "Altera, you better live and appreciate that I'm giving up my castle to save you!" She said with Nero and Tamamo looking at her in shock as she the idol faunus stabbed the white glyph with her lance.

Suddenly, a large rectangular great shield formed in the Knight's right arm. the shield with made of pink and purple stone. It also has a set of circular speakers on each corner and a large one at the center. Nobu and Weiss had a look of shock before realizing the Titan was about to attack. They quickly had the Knight move the great shield in a defensive position seconds before the Titan unleashed a powerful beam of energy. The beam collided with the great shield, leading to a massive explosion over the area. But when the dust settled, the Knight still stood.

"Unbelievable," Nero commented before turning to Elizabeth, "Your castle had that much magical energy stored inside."

Elizabeth giggled as her face was tired, "How do you think I got an A in Glynda's class." She said before falling forward from exhaustion.

"Thanks, Elizabeth," Nobu called out, "This should help." She then noticed the Titan changing at them, the right fist reeled back for a punch. Nobu moved the great shield to block the hit, the Titan's first locked into place. Suddenly, the great shield unleashed an explosive sound wave from the speaker. The sonic boom stunned the Titan, causing it to open its fist to open, revealing the cube in the palm. Nobu then smirked as she had the Knight slash the cube in the right palm, destroying it.

"AAAAAAAA!" The Titan cried as in fell back as the Knight readied its sword for another strike.

"One more!" Weiss said with focus and the Knight plunged the sword towards the Titan's chest. However, the Titan regained its focus. At the last second, clasping its hands over the Knight's sword, stopping it from reaching the cube. The Titan yanked its body to the left, the force snapping the blade in half. Weiss and Nobu had a look of shock as the Titan then smacked the Knight's left arm, forcing the Knight to crash into the ground. Nobu looked to see the ice armor was dented in the hit, exposing the red bones of the skeleton. Before the Knight could get up, the Titan kicked the Knight in the abdomen, launching it and the five students across the plain.

"AAAAAAAA!" The Titan cried as the Knight crashed back into the ground.

The Knight's armor was damaged, the ice melting, and the red bones cracking. Weiss and Nobu still held onto their weapons as blood dripped from their foreheads, "Everyone okay?" Weiss called back as she noticed Nero hold Elizabeth and Tamamo under her right arm.

"I think, but these two are out cold," Nero responded.

"We can't break the last cube without a sword." Nobu told Weiss, "What do we do."

"Relax, I know already," Nero said as she spawned her sword, "I'm not going to be the only one to give up something to save Altera," She said with a smirk on her face, "But I wish the others were awake to see this." The Empress of Roses then stabbed the white glyph with her red sword, "My Golden Theater has always been my trump card." She said as her body was quickly tired and drained of energy, "Finish that thing off with it." She said as she let go of her sword and landed on the ground with her teammates.

Suddenly, a new sword formed in the Knight's left arm. However, this one was made of gold as it radiated a red flame. Weiss and Nobu nodded towards each other as the Knight stood up. The Titan changed and unleashed another beam of energy. The Knight held the golden blade in the path of the beam, cutting the attack in half to avoid the damage. The Knight then rushed forward as the Titan tried to swing its right arm. The Knight slashed at the right arm, setting it on fire with the deep cut. The Titan then tried to attack with the left arm, but the Knight reposed and lash the left palm away. The Titan stumbled back as both of its arms were on fire. In that opening, Nobu and Weiss commanded the Knight to plunge its sword into the chest of the Titan. The golden sword pierced the center of the last cube, destroying it. A few second of silences passed over the area until the Titan let out a final cry, "AAAAAAAAAAAA!" it screamed its whole body glowed in a white light encompassing the entire area.

Weiss and Nobu shielded their eyes from the light. After it had passed, they looked to see a small ball of light in the center of the sky. The ball descended to plains below as Nero ran towards it. Elizabeth and Tamamo woke up to see the ball of light, following their teammate. The three then noticed the light around the sphere fade, revealing Altera at the center. She was unconscious as freefell toward the ground. At the last second, the three members of Team Extella caught Altera before she would hit the ground. the each cried in joy as they heard their teammate's breathing, knowing she was still alive.

Nero then looked to see the Knight kneeling with Nobu and Weiss jumping off the head. As they landed, the knight's armor began to melt as the red-light form before began to fade, "Just in time, this guy just about hit his limit." Nobu said as she saw the skeleton through the armor.

"The same can be said about your team," Weiss said to Team Extella, "Call a rescue airship for the four of you."

"What about you two?" Nero responded.

"We still have to save Okita." Nobu responded with a smile, "Don't worry, we should have enough energy left to get her back safe and sound." She said with Nero having a look of worry, but she then turned to Weiss, who had a reassuring smile on her face with a nod. The Empress of Roses then nodded as well, allowing the heiress and Grimm Archer to travel the plains unaided.

Once they were fire enough away, Weiss looked back to see Nero calling on her scroll, "Well, we at least saved one student." She said before looking at Nobu, "But you and I lied about how much stamina we have left."

"Trust me, I know," Nobu said as she rubbed the back of her neck, "I am never doing a summon of that size again." She then looked at her sword, the blade and frame both dented and crumbling, "My weapon took a lot of the recoil from that magic used to maintain that thing."

"Same," Weiss said as she looked at her damaged Myrtenaster, "How many rifles can you spawn in your condition."

"Maybe two more," Nobu responded with a weak smile, "How about your glyphs."

"It depends on which ones I use," Weiss responded, "But maybe three if we're lucky." She as she looked forward, "If that's all we have to potentially go up against an Alter."

"We're screwed," Nobu said with a slight chuckle, causing Weiss to glare at her, "Calm down Ice Queen," She said with the heiress looking at her in confusion, "I have a plan."

 _Nobu_

Isolated at the plains, Okita Alter glared at her original self, who was held in the red energy prison. However, her eyes struggled to stay open as she started to fall asleep. Suddenly, a voice called out to her, "Yo!" Okita Alter looked over to see Nobu walking alone towards her, "So, you must be the one who took Okita hostage."

"You think?" Okita Alter responded in a condescending voice, "I didn't expect anyone to come for her," She said before her eyes narrowed in anger, "Even you, Partner."

"Okita is my partner, not you," Nobu responded, "Just what are you exactly?"

"I am Okita's alter, a version of her not plagued by her illness." Okita Alter responded, "You can call me, Majin Saber."

"Majin Saber, that's kind of cool sounding." Nobu said with a shrug, "But everything else about you is lame."

"…Come again?" Okita Alter responded with a glare.

"Well, look at you, everything screams, 'Hey, look how cool I am!' and when do that, it makes you look very uncool. Your shoes don't make you look taller, they make you look stupider. Showing off your chest like that just makes you look trashy. And just so you know, I have the lockdown on the red and black color scheme for combat gear." Nobu said with her arms crossed, "Okita may be weak, but she knows how to play that into her cool factor. You, there is nothing about you that is cool to me."

"You want cool, I'll show you cool!" Okita Alter declared as she drew her longsword, unsheathing it and throwing the scabbard away, "This is my Noble Phantasm, one that is a lot cooler than the Weakling's version!" She then rushed forward at high speed, "Boundless light piercing through the myriad realms, the decree of heaven will be severed." Majin Saber declared just as she was in front of Nobu, "Decisive B-" Suddenly, a rifle shot was heard, "Bllgh!" Okita Alter coughed blood as there was a hole in her stomach. She stumbled back a few steps before falling on one knee but looked up to see Nobu's hands were still crossed.

She then noticed blood pouring out the corner of Nobu's mouth as a hole was in her chest as well. This was a through-and-through shot, entering from the back. Okita Alter looked back to see Weiss as few meters away, laying on her stomach as she held one of Nobu's rifles. Suddenly, Nobu coughed up more blood as she fell to one knee, "Oh, why did I suggest this plan?" Nobu said as her breathing was heavy, "That hurt way more than I thought."

"You planned this?" Okita Alter responded before coughing more blood, looking at her wound, "I'm not healing like the others do, why?" She said as her vision became blurry, the recollection of her original's sickness came to her mind, "Her illness made me a weaker alter." She said before she realized something else, "I…fell for the same trick she did."

"I know Okita like the back of my hand," Nobu responded, "The way she fights, the way she moves. And especially, the way she acts when someone calls her uncool." She said a smile as Okita Alter glared at her, "She's amazing, and my best friend. So of course, I'll take a shot if it means I can save her."

"You…" Okita Alter said in anger before having a slight smile, "You'll take a shot, but what about a beam?" Majin saber said with Nobu having a look of confusion. Suddenly, Okita pointed her blade at the Grimm Archer's face. Nobu looked in terror as the blade turned black with a red lining, sparking with electricity. Weiss looked in panic as Nobu quickly spawned her rifle, "Eat this, Somewhat Amazing BEAAAAAAAM!" Okita Alter declared before a thin beam erupted from her sword. At the same moment, Nobu pulled the trigger of her rifle.

Weiss dodged the beam from where she was, having more than enough time to avoid. However, her eyes widened in shock at the outcome of the Grimm Archer, "Nobu!" She called out as she ran over, dropping the rifle. She looked to see a line of charred skin and burnt hair across the right side of Nobu's head. Her right eye twitched in pain but was undamaged. Weiss then looked over to see Okita Alter, her body already in the process of falling over to its side before going motionless forever, "You got her." Weiss said as the Majin Saber's body began to fade like a Grimm.

"Yeah," Nobu said as she dropped the rifle, "I don't know if I was seeing things because of the blood loss," She said as her body wobbled, "But I could have sworn she moved her hand slightly to miss me on purpose."

"Regardless, it's over now." Weiss as she paced her hand on Nobu's back, a pair of white glyphs spawning, "I'm going to use a healing glyph and ice glyph to help numb the pain."

"Hehe, you didn't hit anything vital, did you?" Nobu asked with her eyes half open. Still, she took out her scroll and press the distress signal beacon, "I'll make sure to go to the infirmary as soon as we're picked up."

"Relax, I learned a lot about autonomy from Professor Semiramis when I was practicing summoning," Weiss said before the two then looked to see the red energy prison fade as Okita fell out. Weiss then pointed as she created a white glyph around the Sakura Saber, "And that Healing Glyph should stabilizer her until a rescue airship arrives. Sadly, that is all I have the strength to-" Weiss said before her eyes slowly closed, and she lost conciseness from exhaustion.

Nobu held onto her body as the two fell into the grass. They laid facing each other with Nobu having a small smile on her face, "You know, for an ice queen." She said before closing her eyes, just about losing consciousness, "You're pretty warm." She said before falling asleep, her forehead leaning to touch the forehead of the heiress, her hat falling off into the grass. A calm silence filled the plains as this part of the war was over.

 **AN: There you go, it took everything and then some to beat the enemies here. Altera was turned into the White Titan Sefar by Camilla. Similar to the case with Siegfried, but the heroes were able to defeat the Titan and save Altera at the same time. All thanks to Team Extella finally put their differences aside for the better of the group. Nobu and Weiss were able to combine their summoning alibies to make a colossal knight to fight this foe, (Answering a few questions some may have: How does the knight turn the NP's into weapons? A large part of that is thanks to Weiss having the item construction skill. Even though the guitar was destroyed in Grand Order, Nobu could control the Crimson skeleton thanks to help from Weiss. And this summon was of the full knight, not just the upper half). In the second part we saw Nobu and Weiss work together to beat Okita Alter, despite the two running on fumes at that point. With this section done, we take a small break form alters to see Emerald and Drake's side of the battle in the next chapter. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	76. Chapter 73 - Misdirection

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for all the support you have shown this story, especially for the TV tropes page and the work that has been put into it. This chapter was a lot of fun to write for Emerald, involving a lot of setup and payoff throughout. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 73 – Misdirection**

 _Emerald_

Aboard Drake's ship, Emerald and the female pioneer sailed through a channel of water. The green haired thief looked at her scroll, seeing images of many faces, "These are residents of the town, the students who came to help, and professor." She said as Drake steered.

"Correct, this way, you know who we are looking for to save," Drake said as channel got wider, "We should be approaching the fishing town now," Drake said as they entered the channel into a lake. She looked around in confusion as thick fog covered the area, "A mist at this hour?"

"It's too warm to be a mist," Emerald commented as she felt the fog pass over her, "It's more like…steam?" She then looked to see the fog getting thicker, "I cannot tell where the town is."

"Don't worry," Drake said with a smile, "I know this lake well, we should be fine." Suddenly, the boat violently shook as the two ladies almost lost their balance, "Uhh, that was new."

"What did we hit?" Emerald responded before hearing something jump out of the water. She and Drake then looked to see the thing land on the deck of the ship, a Grimm Starfish, "What is that thing!?"

"Don't know, shot it!" Drake said as she spawned her pistols and fire four shots. The bullets blasted through the Grimm flesh, taking off two of the limbs before the Grimm fell over. Drake smirked before hearing more creatures emerge from the waters. Three more Grimm Starfish popped up and landed on the deck.

Drake continued firing as Emerald took out her weapons. The two dispatched the monsters the same as the first. However, Emerald watched as the broken off limbs began moving, the Grimm flesh expanding and reforming a new Starfish. The number of Grimm on the ship soon tripled with even more jumping onto the ship, "There's no end to them."

"If we blow off the limbs, that won't kill them for good like other Grimm." Drake said as she shot a Grimm Starfish as it jumped at her, "I just have to blast them into nothingness." She then smirked before having a look of panic.

"What is it?" Emerald said as she another Grimm Starfish.

"We're too close to the town," Drake responded, "If there are any survivors, they could die in the crossfire." Suddenly, the ship shook again, "Now what?" Drake commented in anger as a massive Grimm Starfish leg erupted out of the water near the front of the ship, its size rivaling that of the ship. Before Drake and Emerald could gasp, another four Starfish legs erupted around the perimeter of the ship. The frame of the ship began to crack as massive Grimm Starfish began to squeeze, "Abandon ship!" Drake ordered Emerald as the two ran off the railings.

They went between the Grimm body as Drake summoned another ship for the two to land on. The female pioneer looked back as the massive Grimm Starfish crushed the ship into spare wood. Emerald looked to see bits of the gigantic creature break off into the water. Seconds later a new Grimm Starfish emerged from the water on the new ship, "It's an endless cycle." Emerald said in horror before she turned to Drake, "You can destroy them all with your Noble Phantasm, right?"

"Of course," Drake responded, "But it could destroy that town in the process." She then looked to see the area still covered in the fog, "I can't tell if everyone has been massacred or if they are holding the citizens as hostages."

"Then, what do what do we do?" Emerald said as she shot an approaching Grimm Starfish. After a few seconds of thought, Drake had an idea. She grabbed Emerald's right arm and took her inside the ship, closing the door behind them as Grimm Starfish ponded on the wood. The two made their way to the captain's chambers as Drake letting go. The female pioneer went to her desk, picking up a wooden box and tossing it to Emerald. The green haired thief opened it to discover a flare gun with two rounds next to it.

"Okay, here's the plan." Drake said as looked out the window, seeing the Grimm Starfish start to board her ship, "I'll keep the big Grimm's attention. You head to the town and let signal me of its status." Drake said as she pointed at the flare gun, "Two rounds, red and green. Green gives me the go-ahead to blast that thing to kingdom come. It means the situation at the town was worse than we thought, no survivors. As soon as you shot it, run as far away as you can until I finish the job here." She said as a line of sweat ran down her face, "Use the red one if you find more survivors than you can protect or…there is someone less friendly waiting. I'll think of a way to evade this big thing and give you back up. We'll take them out together and regroup on taking out this Massive Grimm Starfish."

"But the town near Chaldea is being attacked at the same time," Emerald responded, "They're counting on this flank to weaken the invading army of Grimm."

"And that thing will only add to the invasion if it decides to leave the lake and head for Chaldea as well," Drake retorted, "Then we'll be back to square one, only worse off than we were before." she said with Emerald going silence, "Look, I know this isn't the best plan." Said before the ship violently shook, "It's putting you in more danger than I-"

"I'll go," Emerald spoke up, holstering the flare gun and ammo behind her back, "Just promise to keep those things away from me while I get to shore." She said with Drake nodding, a smile on her face.

The female pioneer them turned to window in the ship, breaking it open, "Okay, jump through." She said with Emerald having a look of confusion, "I'll spawn a little dingy, so you don't land in the water." Drake then had a smirk on her face, "And I have a way to send you to the shore really quick."

Emerald jumped out of the window, falling towards a recently spawned small dingy. She lands in the small boat, quickly realizing there were no paddles in it. As multiple Grimm Starfish began to close in Emerald, another of Drake's massive ships appeared in high in the sky. The vessel landed in the lake, the ripple it created acting as a large wave, sweeping up Emerald on her dingy. She held the edges to keep aboard and level while the Grimm Starfish were carried in the undercurrent. As the green haired thief caught her breath with calming water, she realized her arrive at the shore, "I feel like half her solution involves dropping one of those ships on something." Emerald said to herself before exiting the boat.

As Emerald e walked on land, the fog was less thick. She looked at the scorch marks in the stones and destruction of the house. She stayed close to the right walls as she made her way through the town, "A lot of carnage, but no bodies anywhere." She thought, "If they took everyone as hostages, why haven't I heard even a whimper?" She then came to the series of collapsed walls with deep cuts in the stone, "Whatever did this was massive." She thought before continuing her search, a line of sweat dripping down her face, "I can't make Drake wait too long. I have to shoot off the flare for her to make the right next move." Emerald thought before reaching a crossroad.

As she was about to turn the corner, she stopped herself upon seeing to individuals. Her eyes widened at the female humanoid Grimm Serenity, whose barely conscious body was hanging a few meters off the ground by a rope tied at her wrists. The other was the Avenger Grimm, Angra, who looked up at serenity with his arms crossed, "That should keep you from doing any funny business with your poisonous touch." He said with Emerald staying out of sight, listening in as he spoke, "Your skin might still be deadly to me, but that power inside of you gave Darius a pretty nasty upgrade." He said with a slight chuckle in voice, "When we have to purge Chaldea and that town, I'll see if there is a way to make me even stronger than him."

"Purge!?" Emerald thought to herself, "Does that mean nobody else is left in this town?" She said to herself as her heart raced, "And what are they? Those two aren't humans or faunus." Emerald thought before she pulled out the flare gun, "If that's the case, nobody else in the town. I can use the green flare," She whispered as her hands were shaking, "But, if I use it. The guy will know my position and go after me." She then looked back to see him still looking up at Serenity, "He doesn't look that strong, but when it comes to people from this land, it's hard to tell. Maybe I should-" In her panicked state, Emerald dropped one of the flare rounds.

The dropped item echoed as the only sound in the town. Angra turned to the noise as spawned his hook-shaped blades. He ran to the corner, discovering Emerald running down an alleyway, "I see you!" the Avenger Grimm said before rushing after Emerald.

Silence returned to town for a moment after Angra went far into the alley. Suddenly, Emerald realized her semblance as she let out a sigh. Her position the same place where she dropped the round, having both in her hand, "That illusion will not keep him busy for much longer." She said before turning toward the way she came, "I should go back to shore to fire off the flare." Emerald was about to run until she heard the groans of pain form Serenity.

"Please…" Serenity cried as Emerald looked around the corner, "Please…kill me."

"What did you say!?" Emerald said as she walked over to Serenity, getting a closer look at her, "A-are you a Grimm?"

"I might as well be," Serenity said with tears in her eyes, "I'm just a product of someone's ill intentions and desires for human suffering now." She then looked directly at Emerald, "It's because of what I am that everyone here is dead. Please, if you kill me, they can't make any more alters."

"I…" Emerald could not think of a response to this request, her mind going blank, "…This girl… those eyes seeing no future for herself," she said before looking back at Serenity, "...I had the same eyes for years…until I met Cinder." Emerald then ran over to the light post, untying the knot.

"What are you doing!?" Serenity asked, "If you do this, he will- LOOK OUT!" The female humanoid Grimm warned as Emerald heard something cut through the wind. She ducked at the last second as a hook-shaped blade embedded in the light post.

The green haired thief turned around to see Angra glaring at her, "That was a clever trick." He said while Emerald pulled out her revolvers, "Here's one for you!" Angra declared before his body began to morph, taking the shape of a Beowolf.

Emerald took aim as the Beowolf roared, "Don't shot!" Serenity warned Emerald, "In that form, he can deal back any damage dealt with him!"

"Are you kidding me!?" Emerald said as Angra rushed her, making a horizontal slash. She dodged to her right to avoid the hit, causing the Avenger Grimm's claws to cut the light post and rope.

Serenity fell onto the ground, freed from the hanging prison. She quickly wiggled her writs out of the rope, glaring over at Angra. The female humanoid Grimm ran over to grab him, but he picked up the top cut off half of the light post. Swing it like a bat, he slammed the metal into Serenity's body, launching her through a glass window into a shop, "Damnit, I got careless." Angra thought to himself, "I hope that didn't kill her."

As he was about to enter the store a chain started to coil around his midsection, binding his arms to his sides. He turned to see Emerald, the ends of the chain attached to each of her revolvers' handles. Angra snarled before lunging at Emerald. The green haired thief dashed at her foe before sliding underneath his body. She then pulled the chain, causing the Avenger Grimm's body to flip, making him land on his back. Once Angra responded, he gritted his teeth as he forcefully broke the chains. Emerald gritted her teeth as she aimed her revolvers as the Avenger Grimm stood up.

Suddenly, a white flash overtook the area, momentarily blinding Angra. His eyesight soon recovered, be he discovered Emerald was no longer before him. He ran over to store to discover nothing near the pieces of shattered glass, causing him to roar in anger.

A few blocks away, Emerald ran with Serenity following close behind, "Come on, stay close to me." Emerald ordered as they made it through the streets.

"What was that light?" the female humanoid Grimm asked.

"I'm not sure," Emerald said as a line of sweep ran down her face, "But I think it means things are not going well in the middle of the lake." The two then reached the shore, noticing the fog slowly subsiding. However, the green haired thief had a look of confusion as she saw the one ship holding off the massive Grimm Starfish, "That wasn't her Noble Phantasm?" Emerald said as a look of confusion came on her face, "Then what was it?"

"Look!" Serenity said as she pointed. Emerald looked over to see the knight in white clade armor, kneeling as he came out of the at the shore. His breathing was heavy, gashes on his chest and oozing a boiling black liquid. close to his body were chucks to the Grimm Starfish, the flesh burned to a crisp. His sword pointed to the sky, the blade radiating steam as he gritted his teeth.

"He's from Chaldea!" Emerald said as she remembered him from the images, "Professor Gawain!"

Gawain looked over to see the girls approaching, his body falling over. Before it could hit the ground, Emerald caught him, "...Your students from Chaldea?" he said with his vision blurry, but a smile still formed on his face, "Thank you."

"What happened to you?" Emerald asked before she looked at the wound on his stomach, "That doesn't look good." She thought as he coughed.

"I let my guard down," Gawain responded as he looked at his wounds, "I don't even know how I am still able to move anymore, but I know I don't have much time left." He then looked back to Emerald, "I will still fight until my last breath."

Emerald nodded as she helped Gawain to a sitting position, she then turned to Serenity, "We cannot let that wolf freak get away."

"I agree," Serenity said before she looked at her right hand, "If I can touch him once, even for a second, he will die." She then turned back to Emerald, "But he knows that as well."

"Then we need to make him trick him." Emerald said with a smile, "Luckily, that's my specialty." The green haired thief then took out the flare gun and loaded a round.

Back in the town, Angra turned back into his humanoid form as he searched the area, "Where are they!?" He said through his teeth, "You can't hide forever!" Suddenly, he saw a green flash in the sky, "Oh, trying to call for help." Angra said before smiling, "Well, you just gave away your position." He said before transforming into his Beowolf form, running down the street towards the docks.

Upon arrival, he discovered nobody at the shoreline but noticed as the ship being crushed by the Massive Grimm Starfish. While Angra smirked at the carnage, his eyes widened in terror as dozens of ships began to spawn out of yellow portals. The cannons of each ship aimed at he the Massive Grimm Starfish's legs, a commanding voice echoed from one for the ships, "Golden Wild Hunt!" Drake declared from afar before the ships opened fire, their beams obliterating the monster. With each chuck that was shot off, another blast turned the flesh into dust I the wind. In the chaos, stray shots began to hit the shoreline.

Angra dodged the best he could, ducking one that aimed for his head. As buildings began to fully crumble, smoke and dust filled the area. Angra quickly escaped the cloud, returning to the street and back in his humanoid form, "I know your plan!" He shouted to the emptiness, "Trapping me in there for a sneak attack, but it failed." He said as he looked around for his targets, "Now, show yourself!" he declared before hearing the clanking of metal boots, "There you a-!"

Angra looked in a heavy sweat as he saw who was approaching. The woman who wore a blue dress accompanied with silver armored boots and gauntlets, "T-the King of Knights." He said as Arturia stopped waking, glaring at him with cold eyes, "Y-you shouldn't be here!" Angra said before he had an uneasy smile, "Wait, you aren't real. Yeah, your just one of that girl's illusions!" He said as Arturia remained silent, a sword forming in her hands. The Avenger Grimm's eyes widened as he knew that sword, the same one that had been used on him seven years ago. As Arturia held its tip aimed at the sky, a glow began to emit from the sword, "No, you are real!" Angra said as he felt the heatwave from light, his mind flashing back to the pain he felt that day, "I-I…" He said as he hyperventilated in a panic. Suddenly, he turned the opposite direction and ran away, "I'm not going to let it happen again!"

Angra frantically ran down the street as he tried to avoid the incoming attack, looking back to see the light glow brighter and brighter. Suddenly, he looked forward to seeing something that widened his eyes further. Two identical female humanoid Grimm of Serenity, each holding a massive revolver in their right hands, aimed at Angra. They both shoot at the same time, causing Angra to duck as he ran, "Was this her plan? To hid herself as an illusion of the one I couldn't touch." He thought to himself as he realized the two were in the only path down the street, the only thing standing in the way of him and beam of Excalibur, "I need to finish them quick!" he said before spawning his two hook blades, throwing them at the two girls. The weapons collided with the revolvers, knocking them out of each Serenitys' hand. In the stunned state, the Serenity on the left to Angra illusion faded, revealing it to be Emerald, "You!" Angra said with a sinister smile as he rushed Emerald, tackling her to the ground, and chocking her with his right hand, "Finally, enough of your silly ga-" Angra was saying until his whole body felt sick. Emerald smirked as looked up at him, her left hand on his bare chest. Suddenly, the illusion broke as an Emerald turned into Serenity, "What!?"

Two shots were fired into Angra side, throwing him off Serenity. He looked over to see the other Serenity holding both revolvers. However, the illusion broke as that Serenity turned into Emerald, "As my boss would say," Emerald said before holstering her weapons, "I think everything went according to plan."

"You!" Angra said before coughing up a large amount of black blood onto the ground, holding his stomach in pain, "How!?" Angra looked to see Arturia walking towards them. However, the illusion broke as she turned in Gawain, looking over to Emerald with a smile, his sword still emanating heat

"When I described you to the professor, he mentioned the King of Knight fought something very similar to you." Emerald then took out her scroll, "While I never meet her, I got a pretty good idea what she and her weapon looked like." She then had a little bit of blood leak out of her nose, which she wiped away, turning back to Serenity, "Overlaying an illusion on someone's body is pretty stressful to me. Even more than controlling multiple illusion at the same time. I don't think it would have worked against him in regular combat." She then looked at Angra with a smirk, "That's why we had to get you angry and panicked, so you would not see through the trick until it was too late."

Gawain walked over to Angra, glaring as he looked down at him, moving over his body, "If you had attacked me at full force during the illusion, you could have won." He said as he raised his sword, over his head, "There was a similar foe to you, cruel in every nature of the word," The knight of the sun said before stabbing Angra in the abdomen, "but he showed the will to fight to the bitter end." Gawain said as Angra's eyes went blank with one last coughing of blood. Serenity and Emerald looked at the Avengers Grimm's body was set of fire from the sword. However, the flames soon began to engulf Gawain's body. Before they could say a word, the Knight of the Sun turned to them in with a warming smile, "Do not worry, I know what I am doing." He said as he looked at his wound, the black blood pulsating out, "My time is over now." He said as he looked at his sword, "Please, take Excalibur Galatine back to Chaldea." He said before closing his eyes, a smile on his face, "So that it may be passed down to another worthy knight."

Serenity and Emerald watched as the fire fully engulfed Gawain and Angra's bodies. After a few seconds, the Avenger Grimm and Kight of the Sun were reduced to ash. The green haired thief watched as Excalibur Galatine fell flat on the ground, the light and heat fading away from the saber. Emerald picked up the sword, taken back at its weight. Suddenly, a large shadow covered the area. Emerald looked up to see f Drake's armada of ships hovering over the fishing town, "The ships can fly!?" Emerald shouted up in shock.

"Of course!" Drake shouted back from the main ship before throwing down a rope ladder, "Now get on!" She said with Emerald grabbing the ladder with one hand, the other holding the sword.

Once she was a few steps up, Emerald then turned back to Serenity, "You too, come on!" She said to the female humanoid Grimm, who looked back in shock.

"But I'm-" Serenity said with Emerald cutting her off.

"Just let me tell Drake so doesn't pat you on the back and die." Emerald said with a slight giggle before having a genuine smile, "I'm not going to abandon you here to be alone." She said with Serenity smiling, grabbing the rope ladder.

 **AN: There you go, Emerald proves herself against a foe she could not directly damage by outsmarting him. I really liked her and Serenity's dynamic at parts here, (it might just be me, but those two have almost identical character designs, just a few palate swaps.). Angra is finally put down for good and Gawain gets a proper sendoff now. The flank is in full motion now to help turn the tied of this invasion, but will it be enough? Next chapter, we'll see how Nora and Fran handle the foes they need to go up against. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	77. Chapter 74 - Broken Girl

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. It's a little short, but it means I can get out this chapter a little earlier. This one had me well up a few times when writing. Thank you for all the support this story has gotten, we are heading into the final ten chapters now. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 74 – Broken Girl**

 _Nora_

Across the plains, Moriarty drove a jeep with Sherlock riding in the front passenger seat. In the backseats were Nora and Fran, both of who were looking up a massive black cloud. Sherlock opened the glovebox and took out a pair of binoculars, "As I thought, that is not a normal cloud." He said as he saw what it really was, "It is a mass of Geist, one-hundred and fifty to be precise."

"That type of Grimm is not normally in this region," Moriarty responded as he drove, "Let alone in that pack size." The mathematics professor looked to two individuals in the distance, "Who are they?" he said with Sherlock examining with his binoculars.

The genius advisor's eyes focused on the two, "It's Victor," Sherlock said with Fran gritting her teeth, "And who he is with…it appears to be another Fran."

"What!?" Nora spoke up as Fran's face of anger turned to one of shock, "Like an identical twin." The orange haired saber then turned to the girl in the wedding dress, "You had a sister?"

"Au?" Fran said in confusion.

"No, it is not like that," Sherlock corrected as he examined the Other Fran, "This looks like an artificial creation. One made in the image of Fran." Suddenly, he felt his hair stand up as he heard sparks coming from the backseat. He took his eyes away from the binoculars to see Fran seething with rage, "Uh oh." He said as Nora and Moriarty

"AAAUUU!" Fran screamed before jumping out of the back seat of the jeep. The force of the shockwave causing the vehicle to spiral with the residual electricity overloading the engine.

Moriarty quickly evened out through the carnage but saw the engine smoking. He, Sherlock and Nora all jumped out of the vehicle a few seconds before it exploded. The three then looked to see Fran changing towards Victor and the Other Fran, both spawned their maces at the same time, "You know, for a smart guy," Nora said to Sherlock, "That was a really stupid thing to say with Fran in earshot." She said with Moriarty smiling as he then patted her on the head.

"Noted," Sherlock said before looking up at the approaching mass of Geist, "That is going to become a problem for Chaldea if we allow it to get any closer."

"I get it," Nora said as she spawned her plasma sword, "I'll deal with them, you save Fran."

"No Nora," Moriarty said with a wink and a smile, "Holmes and I can deal with the Geist."

"Uhh, how?" Nora responded, "I thought you were here for moral support." She said with the smile on Moriarty's face fading, Sherlock trying to hide his chuckling, "I mean, aren't you like fifty."

Moriarty cleared his throat before standing tall, "I may be not as spry as someone of your generation." Suddenly a metal cane with an elaborate golden handle and bladed body appeared in his right hand. In his left, a chain connected large white steel coffin with gold trimming appeared behind him, "But, I am not to be taken lightly."

"What is that!?" Nora said as she pointed at the coffin.

"My weapon," Moriarty said with a grin, "The potential to unleash thousands of machine gun rounds, numerous ballistic missiles, and antimatter photon cannon." He said with pride as the weapon expelled steam, "A weapon capable of planetary destruction, The Dynamics of an Asteroid!" he then heard the moaning of the spectral Grimm approaching. Quickly, he lifted the coffin and aimed it the Geist. The coffin explained before a blue beam of energy blasted Grimm multiple into dust, "Amazing, yes?" he said as he turned back to the orange hair saber, the coffin letting off some steam.

"I want one!" Nora said in glee as Moriarty laughed.

"Please admire tools of mayhem another time," Sherlock said before sitting back as a light formed behind him. Suddenly, a large brass sphere appeared as his seat it opened to reveal large mechanical arms attached to massive magnifying glasses. They acted as spotlights towards the Geist and surrounding area as the genius advisors placed the tips of his fingers together in a pondering state. He closed his eyes as the light shined on the remaining Grimm. Suddenly, he opened his eyes with a slight green gleam.

"What was that?" Nora said as Sherlock jumped off the contraption.

"Elementary, my dear." He responded, "Now, I know how we to win this battle." He said with Nora having a look of shock, while Moriarty responded with an arrogant scoff at the boost.

Fran continued to scream as she rushed towards her father, "AAAAAA!" She shouted before rising her mace over her head, the weapon radiating green electricity.

However, the Other Fran ran to intercept her. Their maces clashed as their heels dug into the ground, "Hello False" The Other Fran said in a cold voice.

"AU?" Fran shouted back before gritting her teeth.

"Me? I am you but better. Not false, no a monster," The Other Fran responded, "After I kill you, I will be the only one of my kind. The only Frankenstein."

"UU!" Fran shouted back.

"Fran, look out!" Nora called as she ran over, "He's going to shot!"

Suddenly, Fran heard a gun cocked. She jumped back from the Other Fran before the shot was fired. The Other Fran soon had a hole in its stomach as Fran dodged the bullet. She and Nora watched the Other Fran fall over dead as Victor scoffed, "Should have known that wouldn't work twice."

"That's not the important thing right now!" Nora responded a glare, "Why did you try to shoot your own daughter!?"

"That is not my daughter," he said as he pointed at the Other Fran with his gun, but he then aimed at Fran, "And that is just a monster."

"AU!" Fran responded as she gritted her teeth, but as Nora looked over, she saw tears forming in her eyes as well, "Au…"

"You know what you did," Victor responded, "That power of electricity you have was uncontrollable, even at your birth." he said with a spiteful glare, "It's what cost her life to give me you." Nora had a look of confusion for second until she realized something. While Nora had spoken a lot about her mother, she never knew a thing about Fran's, "And as you grew old, I realized the truth. She did not leave me with a daughter, she left me with a broken doll, a monster." He then fired a shot into Fran's stomach.

"FRAN!" Nora said in panic before turning to Victor with rage. But before she could rush after him, Fran held her right arm in the orange-haired saber's path.

"Aa…I…tried," Fran spoke as her grip on her weapon faltered, her right arm lowered, "I... tried to…be a good…daughter." She said as the tears flowed more rapidly, "…It's…hard…not to be…yourself…but I tired…for you…for…Mother."

"Fran…" Nora said in sorrow.

"And then…you left me…alone," Fran responded, "For so long…I was…alone."

"Your misery doesn't compare to mine," Victor responded as a Geist flew over to the Other Fran's body, possessing it, "My emptiness has existed since your birth." He said as he loaded the next bullet into the chamber, The Other Fran standing up, "And when this monster is gone, I will finally be at peace." Fran then looked up to see her father aiming at her skull, his right index finger moving to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, Nora rushed him with her plasma blade, chopping off his right arm before he could apply enough pressure. He remained wide-eyed and shocked as Nora stood next to him, "Fran is a good girl," She said before glaring at him with eyes of hate, "And you are a crappy father!" She said before swinging her sword at him with an intention to cut him in half. However, the Other Fran interested the plasma blade with her mace. She pushed Nora away before continuing her assault on the orange haired saber.

Fran looked over at her father screaming in pain, falling to his knees. She tightened the grip on her mace and lifted it over her head, intending to crush his. However, she looked over to see Nora battling the Other Fran, "No…ra," She said before she looked down at her father, "She is why…I don't feel… alone…anymore." Fran said before rushing at the two, "AAAUUU!" She said before swinging her mace towards the Other Fran.

At the last second, the Other Fran blocked the surprise attack, pushing Fran away. Nora came in and slashed the Other Fran in the back, seeing a black essence leave its body. The Other Fran's body began to wobble until another Geist appeared. The Grimm specter merged with the Other Fran's body like the last one, "She has unlimited lives!?" Nora said before she glanced back at Moriarty and Sherlock fighting the rest of the Geist. The mathematics professor unleashed a volley of machine gun fire at the Grimm specters while the genius advisor delivered a flurry of kicks to one creature, "They need to hurry up before-"

"AU!" Fran tried to warn Nora, but as the orange haired saber looked back, the Other Fran was in the middle of a horizontal swing. The mace collided with Nora's midsection as he went flying a few meters away, her body rolling on the grassy plains as she dropped her sword. Nora felt the last of her aura fade from the critical hit. Once she reopened her eyes, she looked over to see both Fran's fighting.

"AU!" The Fran on the right called to Nora.

"Au?" The Fran on the left responded, "UU!"

"Uu?" The Fran on the right responded, "UU!"

Suddenly, Nora grinned. She quickly rushed forward and picked up her sword. While the two Fran's argued, Nora ran up and slashed the one on the right across the chest. That Fran fell back in pain as the black essence leaked from its body, "Please, you thought you could fool me," Nora said to the Other Fran. She then turned to Fran and winked, "You're nothing like her."

"Aa." Fran said with a smile on her face before she felt the pain of the gunshot wound return, "Au…"

"Right, we need to end this quick," Nora said as she had an idea, "So, can you lend me some energy?"

The Other Fran slowly started to get up as another Geist possessed her. However, as she stood up, she felt a wave of electricity pass over her body. She looked to see Nora holding her sword backward, the pincer end opening. Fran stood behind her with both hands placed on Nora's back. The green and blue electricity mixed as the plasma blade formed larger than before. The Other Fran gasped at the size of the electricity weapon, as Nora and Fran were holding a literal bolt of lightning, "Charge complete!" Nora said as Fran nodded, taking a few steps back, "Lightning strike!" Nora said as she slammed the blade downwards. The Other Fran jumped back to dodge, but the orange haired saber used this strike to vaulter herself into the air, "Super tingly BOOP!" She said as the Other Fran looked up in shock as Nora and the weapon rocketed towards her, "Skewered Plasma Blade!" She declared before the bolt of electricity collided with the Other Fran's body. The Geist possessing the body vaporized, as did the rest of the Other Fran.

 _Fran_

Fran shielded her eyes from the dust created by the shockwave. After a few seconds, the bolt of lightning vanished as only a crater remained. Walking out the crater was Nora, her plasma sword resting on her right shoulder, and a large smile on her face. Fran smiled back as Nora walked towards her, "Aa-" Fran was saying until a gunshot was heard, taking the smile away from both of their faces. Nora felt the blood build in her mouth as she looked down, discovering the through-and-through shot in the center of her chest. She turned her head to see Victor aiming at her, holding the gun in his left hand, barely able to stabilize it through his panting from blood loss. Nora's eyes began to close as she dropped her weapon, her body falling forward. Fran's eyes filled with tears, dropping her mace as the orange-haired saber's body hit the ground, "No..ra…" She said before looking over to Victor, her eyes filling with hate, "AAAAA!" She screamed as she ran over to him. Victor tried to aim his gun, but it was too late. Fran rushed his faster than he thought, punching the gun out of his left arm, "AAAAAAA!" Fran screamed in Victor's face before reeling back her right arm, unleashing a punch that would break his nose. She reeled back her left, unleashing a punch that would break his jaw. She reeled back her right again, unleashing a punch that would break his wind pit. She reeled back her left again, unleashing a punch that would crush his eyes. She reeled back her right again, unleashing a punch that would break his skull, "AAAAAAAAA!" Fran screamed and screamed again as she punched until only a crater where a man's skull remained. In the cacophony of her screams, she heard Nora make a small cry.

"Fran…" Nora said, causing the girl in the wedding dress to lose her rage. Fran turned back towards Nora, running back to her, "Fran…it's over." Nora said before coughing blood.

"Nora…" Fran said as she cradled Nora, "Don't…go."

"It's okay…I'm not going to leave you," Nora said as Fran looked her, a smile forming on the orange haired saber's face. Fran had a look of confusion as she looked at the bullet injury heal, leading to Nora hugging Fran, "I'll always be here for you."

"No…ra," Fran said as she hugged her back.

Victor's body laid dead in the plains as a Geist approached it. the Grimm specter then entered his body, the corpses starting to move. However, a missile flew towards the body, exploding on contact, reducing the corpse to nothing but chunks. Walking over now were Moriarty and Sherlock, "Well, that's the last one," Sherlock remarked, "And it looks like my plan worked."

"This was still my plan, to begin with," Moriarty angerly retorted before letting out a sigh, "But…you did notice something that even I forgot." He said as he looked at the back of his right hand, "I had not used my command seal on Nora. It was left over from round one of Grand Order." He then looked over to see Nora hugging Fran, "You reminded me that I could restore her aura if she was in danger of dying."

"An extra command seal can be very useful that way," Sherlock said as he watched the two girls hug, a smile forming on his face, "Those two, they treat each other like sisters."

"Yes," Moriarty responded with a chuckle, "And I wasn't going to let my Fran lose someone like that." His minded then went to years ago, seeing himself walk into his empty classroom. Or so he thought it was empty, hearing the moans and cries of someone sitting in the corner. He walked over to discover a young Fran sitting in the fetal position, her eyes dried from hours of crying. She reached out her hand toward the image of someone in her mind, but like her reality, nothing grabbed her hand back. Her whimpers grew louder as her hand hung in the air waiting. Suddenly, she felt someone grasp her hand, discovering Moriarty. He held it tight as he looked down at her, a soft smile on his face. In the present, Moriarty watched Fran cry again, but they were now crying tears of joy as she hugged Nora, "Everybody needs someone. Wouldn't you agree, Holmes?"

The two then walked over to Nora and Fran. The girl in the wedding dress looking up at Moriarty, "Papa!" Fran said as she smiled at him. Sherlock watched as Moriarty's heart warmed at that word, the mathematics professor hugging his daughter and Nora.

Sherlock smiled as he turned away from the three, looking up at the clear blue sky, "Yes James," he said to himself, "I can agree to that."

 **AN: Fran is a good girl. Anytime I write her speaking with words or crying, it has my eyes start to water. Nora gets to show off her Noble Phantasm with her personal flare added to the end. Moriarty and Sherlock are kind of in the background here, but they still showed off their cool stuff, (Moriarty's NP is one of my favorites for how ludicrous it is in the game). I'll take this time to say that I made these villains for this story. They are not to be overall complex, but not simply one dimensional either. You get why Victor did what he did, but that doesn't change that he is a terrible person for what he did. With that, the next chapter deals with the enemy of Marcus Black, who was built as a villain in a similar vein but is a bit more malicious in his application of his ideals. It is a chapter I am looking forward to writing for the payoff to a certain character's journey. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	78. Chapter 75 - Falling in the Black

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Thank you for the support you have shown this story, I really appreciate it. This chapter has a certain character showing how far he has come. It was a lot of fun to write and enjoyed the moments this one has. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 75 – Falling in the Black**

 _Ushiwakamaru_

Marcus Black walked through the plains, the grass much taller in this section for the kingdom reaching up to his knees. The deadly killer looked down at his scroll, approaching a homing signal, then looked straight ahead to see the longhaired samurai glaring at him, "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Marcus said while Ushiwakamaru remained silent, "What, no welcome for your father?"

"You shattered Mercury's legs." Ushi spoke up, "How could you do that to your own son?"

"He wasn't living up to my exceptions. I could only lower the bar so far before I realized he was a lost cause." He then put his scroll away before assuming a fighting stance, "He lacked the potential you have, my daughter."

"Mother was right about you," Ushi said before she drew her katana, "All you cared about were results, never us." She said with him having a slight giggle, "Why are you laughing!?"

"Your mother, she thought she beat me in the end," Marcus said as a sinister smile formed on his face, "Keeping you far away from me was probably her dying request of that academy." He then focused on her with a serious look in his eyes, but the smile still on his face, "Did they tell you how she died?"

"She contracted an illness and died in her sleep," Ushi respond before tightening the grip on her katana, realizing something, "How…how did you know she was dead!?"

"The truth is it wasn't an illness, more so a toxin." He said as Ushi's eyes widened, "You are smart enough to figure out who poisoned her now."

Ushi's eyes now filled with rage as she rushed forward, "I'LL KILL YOU!" She screamed as she raised her sword for a vertical slash. However, just as the blade was a foot away from his skull, Marcus clapped his hands, catching the blade. Ushi gasped as Marcus sneered, "Now Jack!"

Suddenly, Jack jumped from out of the grass behind Marcus. He turned his head to see her wielding a knife in each hand. He feels the metal start to sink into his back before thrusting his body to the right, letting go of the katana. Jack lands near Ushi before the two glared at Marcus, "Not deep enough." Jack said as she looked at the blood on the tips of her knives, "His skin is thicker than we thought."

"Well, maybe this school has turned over a new leaf if it lets kids like you fight," Marcus said with a slight chuckle, "You were aiming for my kidneys just then, how ruthless."

"Next time," Jack responded, "We will aim for your heart." She said before sinking back into the tall grass as Ushi reposed with her katana.

"So, that's their strategy," Marcus said to himself as he watched the tallgrass flutter, "The little one moves into position undercover. I can't even tell her movements because of the wind." He thought before looking back to Ushi ready to charge, "She can move faster through the grass than I and kill me with that sword if I let her." Marcus then smirked before he reached behind his back with his left hand in a hidden satchel, "It's what I would expect from you, Daughter, but how will you deal with this new variable?"

Ushi looked in slight confusion as Marcus pulled out a green vile with a quark top. He flicked off the quark with his left thumb before drinking the concoction. At that moment, the long-haired samurai rushed forward to slash him. However, as she was in mid-swing, the deadly killer finished his drink. He then threw the bottle at Ushi, who redirected her slash to block the vile. Marcus then looked at his lefthand glow with a green aura. he swung his left arm, mimicking a bear swinging its claws. From his fingers were currents of wind traveling at high speed. Ushi barely had time to reposition herself in midair to dodge, the razor wind leaving a thin cut on her left leg and right arm as it bushed by her.

Jack looked at Marcus, ready to stab him from behind, he swung his arm again, this time in a full circumference motion. The razor wind chopped the grass as Jack ran back to avoid a similar cleaving. She managed to outrun the attack while still remaining hidden while Ushi landed on the ground. However, the longhaired samurai realized where she landed, the grass was barely an inch tall. Where Marcus stood, in a ten-meter radius, the razor wind had cut the grass to next to nothing.

"I don't-" Ushi said in shock as the aura around Marcus' hand faded, "How?"

"I learned if I mixed a few bits of elemental dust in my brew, I give me a bit a more of a kick." Marcus responded, "Though short, it gets the job done." He then took up a fighting stance.

Ushi reposed with her katana as the two stood at a stalemate, "Not good, he made it so Jack can't as easily get the jump on him anymore. Even if I lure him to the edge, he will know she is coming," She thought as she examined the field, "Luckily, she is still out of his sight." She then tightened her grip on her katana, "I need to make sure he doesn't lay a hand on Jack."

"Be ready, Daughter," Marcus responded, "If you do not kill me in this next hit, you will die." He said before rushing forward, almost vanishing with the wind. Ushi responded in kind, her body vanishing and reappearing with her speed. In one second, Ushi appeared in front of her father, her blade reeled back for a horizontal slash. The deadly killer had his right fist raised over his head. In that second, the two glared at each other before unleashing their attacks. Ushi and Marcus reappeared a few meters from the other, their backs facing each other. Suddenly, the long-haired samurai's katana snapped, the metal felled to the ground. She gritted her teeth as Marcus looked at his right knuckles, seeing blood spill between his fingers, "Almost." He said before turning to Ushi, the smile faded from his face, "But not good enough."

In the tallgrass, Jack watched as Ushi gritted her teeth towards her father, "We need to help her." She said as Ushi dodged Marcus' right hook. In her envision, Ushi wrapped her body around her father for a right arm lock. She held onto her father's wrist while her legs wrapped his upper arm and feet under his chin. The deadly killer started to feel the tension in his arm grow as Ushi intended to break his right arm at the elbow. However, Marcus clenched his fist as he flexed his arm, slowly overpowering his daughter. Ushi struggled to regain ground until Marcus hit her in the back with his right knee. The longhaired samurai gasped in pain as she let go of Marcus, her body landing on the ground. Before she could get up Marcus, kicked her in the ribs, punting her few meters away. Ushi screamed in pain as she held her chest. Jack watched in horror as Marcus walked towards his daughter, "He…He cannot get to Mercury." Jack said as she tightens her grip on her knives, "We will protect him."

Marcus was just a few steps away from Ushi, who only could stand on one knee, "You know when bones break, they grow back stronger than before." he said as he stood in a meter away from his daughter, "But everything has its limits."

"What is your plan!?" Ushi said before coughing blood.

"I wish for you to be my apprentice, as you should have been from the beginning." He responded.

"I would rather die!" Ushi responded in hateful disgust.

Marcus sighed before responded, "Pity, in my absences your idiot brother's laziness has rubbed off on you." The deadly killer responded before cracking his knuckles, "Such a waste of talent now." Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the tall grass to his right "Oh, she wishes to try and kill me-" he said with a smirk until he felt an ominous pressure, "What's this?"

In the tallgrass, a purple mist started to emerge as a pair of piercing green eyes emerged out, "Hell is starting. We are flame, rain, power..." Jack said before her body was shrouded in a black mist, "Let there be a slaughter..." She said as Marcus took up a defensive stance, "Maria the Ripper!" She said before rushing out of the tall grass at high speed. Marcus' eyes widened again at Jack's movements, faster than he could react. Her first slash was across his left shoulder. From behind, her second slash was into his right thigh. Her third stash was across his horizontal stomach. Blood gushed out of Marcus' body as his stance faltered, Ushi watched in shock. Jack reappeared behind Marcus, "We told you." Jack said before lunging forward, her blades aimed at his heart.

However, Marcus quickly turned around, reaching out his left hand. Jack had a look of shock as she knew she couldn't dodge. Marcus grabbed her by the skull, squeezing as Jack screamed in pain, "Yes, you did." Marcus said as Jack dropped one of the knives, "Thank you for being predictable."

"Let her go!" Ushi shouted, but staggered in pain, "This has nothing to do with her!"

"On the contrary," Marcus responded, "If you will not be my apprentice, I might as well take this one." He said as Jack glared at her, "Look at those eyes," he said with a smirk, "Those are the eyes of a killer." The deadly killer said before squeezing harder, Jack screaming at the should of her skull starting to crack.

"Stop!" Ushi cried as Marcus turned back to her, "…I'll go with you." She said in a defeated voice, "Please, let Jack go."

"If you really wish for me to take you now, you have to prove it." Marcus said with a deadpan face, "Go back to Chaldea and bring me back Mercury's head." She said with Ushi's eyes widening in terror, "If you do not return fast enough, I will deliver this child's head to both of you."

Ushi still remained in shock as Jack's tightened her grip on her other knife, "We will not go with you!" She said before stabbing Marcus in the left forearm, causing his grip to falter and let go of her. Jack smiled as she was freed of the pain but then noticed Marcus glare back at her. Before her body could touch the ground, Marcus delivered a powerful right kick into Jack's left leg. The little girl's body flung across the field like a rag doll, her body coming to an eventual stop right before the tallgrass, dropping the knife.

"JACK!" Ushi screamed before rushing towards her, fighting the pain to get to her as fast as possible. Once she had a better look, her eyes widened at the horror. Jack laid on her back, her breathing rapid as tears ran done her face. The pain she was feeling had moved her beyond screaming, her left leg was contorted and mangled. The bones in her left leg where the equivalent to jelly, her feeling in that limb was not lost forever, "Jack…" Ushi said as tears filled her eyes, then turned to Marcus in a rage, "You monster, she's only ten years old!"

"What a waste," Marcus said as he pulled out the knife, "That attack could have killed me," He said Ushi noticed the wounds on his body not healing, but his form still unwavering, "An effect from one of my concoction. When my aura is depleted, my body does not suffer fatigue like others." The deadly killer then looked at his left hand moving his figures, "It feels numb, but it often lets me lure an enemy into a false sense of security." He then looked back to Ushi and Jack, "You two lost." He then looked at Ushi glaring at him, causing him to smirk, "However, I will give you the opportunity to become my apprentice again." He said as a line of sweat ran down the longhaired samurai's face, "But the condition still stands, I want you to kill…" However, Marcus cut himself off as he heard an odd sound, "Huh?" He said as he turned around, looking up, "Do I hear a jet?" He said before seeing a small grey dot in the center of the sky.

Suddenly, the object became more focused, racing towards Marcus at high speed. His eyes widen as he realized it was a person, the person he knew very well. Ushi and Jack watched in shock as someone delivered a devastating kick to the center of Marcus' chest. Marcus' eye widened as his body flung across the field. As it collided with the ground, it formed a trench the tilled the soil for over dozens of meters away. Ushi and Jack looked away from Marcus to see the person that had launched the man so far. Their eyes widened in disbelief as he stood on a new set of mechanical legs, "Stay away from my family you bastard!" Mercury said as he scowled at his father.

 _Mercury_

A few moments earlier.

Back in Chaldea, Mercury slowly opened his eyes before wincing in pain, "Uh, my head…" he said before noticing the window. He looked out to see groups of professors and students fighting numerous Grimm, "What in the-"

"It's an invasion," Mercury turned to see Kato taking to him from her bed, her prosthetic arms removed.

"Everyone is out there, except the badly injured," Nursery Rhyme spoke up from her bed, "We need to stay here."

"Wha-" Mercury said before he realized something in his hand, looking to see it was a piece of paper. As he read it, his eyes widened with a tear slowly forming. His hand trembled before clenching the letter, "Where is Jack?" he said before he noticed someone else was gone, "And…my sister." He said as he remembered.

"I don't know exactly, I was out cold for a long time as well," Kato responded before she clenched the covers, "But…Ushiwakamaru told me about her father, your father." She said with Mercury slightly gasping, "Knowing her, she went to go kill him before he could get here."

"And knowing Jack," Nursey Rhyme added on, "She went to make sure you would be saved from harm."

"Are they insane!? They can't fight him!" Mercury said as he tried to push himself off the bed, "I have to-" Suddenly, he fell on the floor, looking to see his prosthetic legs gone, his eyes filled with rage, "DAMN IT!" He said as he pushed the chair next to his bed, followed by tears reforming in his eyes, "…I can't lose them."

Kato looked down at Mercury with sorrow in her eyes. She then had a look of focus as she closed them. Suddenly, a pair of grey metallic fake legs appeared near her bed. Mercury looked over in shock before looking at Kato, who looked away as her face was slightly red, "Those times you caught me sneaking into your room. Well, you didn't catch me every time." She said with Mercury looking at her with a slight scowl, "I took some measurements, then I made these and converted them to a noble phantasm." She then had a more serious look as she turned to him, "If you want to save them, I will give you these. But promise me you will all come back alive." Mercury nodded before crawling over to the metal legs. as he picked up one, he noticed they had a set of white metal wing protruding out the ankles, causing him to look back at Kato with his eyes half open, "What? I wanted to add a little creativity?" She said with her face turning back to red, "H-how do they fit." She said as Mercury attached them.

"Wow," Mercury said in shock as he put both of them on, "They feel like the real deal!" Mercury said before standing up, slightly hopping, "More than that, I feel even lighter."

"I made them with a wind runic magic I learned from Medea," Kato said with a smile on her face, "Not only is it light, but the metal was tempered many times over, making it tougher than the other one I blew off…. Sorry." She said before clearing her throat, "With those equipped, I think it should raise your agility stat to A++."

"That's insane." Mercury commenced before looking at his new legs, "Maybe with these-" he said before he realized something, "But, how do I find where they went?"

"M-Mercury," Rhyme spoke up, looking at her scroll in worry, "I just got a distress signal from Jack." She said as he and Kato had a look of panic, "I know her location know, but means she's not doing good."

"Let me see!" Mercury said as he ran over, taking the scroll out of Rhyme's hand. He looked at the map as he noticed the red dot in relation to his location, "Don't worry, I'm coming." He said to himself before looking out the window, then turned back to Kato, "Hey, when you said wind runic magic, does that include-"

"Yes," Kato responded with a smile, "They can let you do that." She said with Mercury smirking.

Mercury then turned to the window again and open it. He put one foot on the window ceil before looking to Rhyme and Kato, "I'll bring them back." he promised before jumping out the window, moving his feet to be flush against the outside wall. The grey-haired assassin looked back at scroll before focusing on the direction of the signal. His new metallic leg radiated a green aura that soon covered his whole body. While the tiny wings glowed in white light. Mercury then leaped off the wall before skyrocketing through the air at high speed. His eyes widened in amazement as his body felt no wind resistance, rather the wind felt like it was passing through his body. He had a smile form on his face upon realizing the world passing by him. Suddenly, he focused on a tallgrass field with a crop circle at the center. Upon seeing his father at the center of that, he gritted his teeth as he repositioned his body. A few seconds after Marcus turned around, Mercury delivered a devastating dive kick into his father's chest. As Marcus' body was flung in the soil, grey-haired assassin landed on the ground, "Stay away from my family you bastard!" Mercury said as he scowled at his father.

"Mercury!" Ushi said, gainer her brother's attention. He ran over before realizing Jack on the ground, a look of horror in his eyes, "I'm so sorry," The longhaired samurai said as she held Jack, tears in her eyes.

"Mercury…" Jack said in a week voice as Mercury knelt next to her.

"Save your strength kid," Mercury responded as he held her right hand, "I'll take it from here."

"You can't fight him alone!" Ushi responded, "Let me help you."

"I need you to watch Jack for me," Mercury responded to her, a serious look on his face, "One way or another, I'm finishing this." He said before having a smile as he looked at Jack, "I got your note, Kid." He said as he held the pieces of paper in his hand, "When this is all over, I will make your favorite meal when we get home." He said with Jack having a smile through her tears of pain. Mercury then stood up and walked towards where his father was. As he did so, he looked down at the note, reading it one more time.

 _We love you._

Mercury had a smile on his face before putting the note in his pocket. He then had a look of determination as he walked towards a mound of dirt. Suddenly, Marcus emerged from the soil, a look of fury in his eyes as his red vest was tattered, "Mercury." Marcus said as he clenched his fists.

"Hey Dad," Mercury responded somewhat nonchalantly, "Last time I saw you was when I threw your corpse on our burning home." He said before he realized something, "Let me guess, one of your crappy brews saved you?"

"Looks like you do have a brain cell or two after all," Marcus responded with a smirk before ripping off the rest of his vest, tossing it to the wind. Mercury looked to see his father's exposed chest, the scorched flesh exposing the raw muscle tissue, "You never could finish a job correctly, always too lazy to confirm a kill." He then assumed a fighting stance, "But, you left me for dead and stole my next job."

"You took my legs, so I would say that makes us even," Mercury said before assuming a similar fighting stance, "But then you hurt Jack and my sister," He said before clenching his fist, "For that, I will never forgive you."

"Then come at me," Marcus responded with a smirk forming, "Unless you are afraid."

"Not anymore," Mercury responded before silence fell between the two.

Suddenly, both rushed towards the other. Mercury spun to deliver a left side kick, while Marcus attempted a left cross. The fist collided with the shin, making a shockwave of wind on impact, "What!?" Marcus said in disbelief as Mercury's metallic leg was not even dented, causing Mercury to have a slight chuckle to himself. He then pushed back on his father, causing Marcus to go into a staggered state. Mercury quickly changed his stance as he tried a leg sweep, knocking Marcus onto the ground. Mercury then kneed his father in the stomach, the burnt muscles tearing as Marcus' eyes widened. However, Marcus still attempted as wind right hook.

Mercury jumped back to dodged as he landed on his feet, Marcus slowly getting up, "That was close," Mercury thought to himself as he looked at his father, "It's a good thing these legs can take a hit. But if he lands a direct blew anywhere else…" He said before his vision got blurry, "Damnit, I can't be this out of it already?" He said a he felt the fatigue from his last battle in Grand Order, "I need to kill him quick, but how?"

"What's the matter," Marcus said as he stood up fully, "I guess trying is something you aren't used to." He said before rushing forward attempting a right jab. Mercury changed to an evasive stance as he dodged the hit, but then looked to see a sweeping kick from the right, be blocked with his metallic leg. However, Marcus grabbed the leg with his right hand before punching it with his left. Mercury heard a clank noticed before panicking sunk in. His leg then radiated a green wind aura the pushed Marcus off leading to Mercury jumping back. The deadly killer then glared at his son as Mercury breathing was heavy, "Not as confident now, are we?" Marcus said before looking at Mercury's legs, "The material is strong and impressive." He then glared at Mercury's eyes, "But I don't need to break the metal, I need to break the joints."

"Think Mercury think," the grey-haired assassin thought to himself as he faced his father, who cracked his knuckles, "He's not dumb enough for me to convince him to hit himself, " Mercury though before Marcus rushed him, trying to land a solid punch, "The way I beat him before was surprising him while his returning from a mission still half drunk." He thought before having an idea, "Well, that might work."

Marcus tried a right cross to his opponent, but Mercury vanished in a flash of speed, "What?"

"To your right," Mercury taunted before kicking his father in the left leg, then vanished, "Now the left." Mercury said before kicking Marcus in the back of the head, then vanishing, "And now, how about a kick to the gut?" He said before appearing behind his father.

However, Marcus delivers a right donkey kick into Mercury's right metallic leg. The clanking noise from before became louder as Mercury had a look of panic. He then barely saw the backhand of his father's right arm coming towards his head, jumping back to dodge. Mercury landed a few meters away as the deadly killer glared at him, "Your games were never amusing." Marcus said before reaching into a hidden satchel, "And I'm tired of playing." However, he had a look of confusion as he realized the satchel was empty.

"What's wrong," Mercury said as he showed three vials in his left hand; one, red, one blue, and one purple, "Looking for these?" he said with Marcus glaring at him, "I know how much you hated it when I got into your alcohol stash." Mercury said before dropping the purple vial, "But I never drank any of your brews," he said before dropping the blue vial, "I just liked smashing the bottles." He said before stepping on the vials with an audible glass breaking.

"…That was your last mistake." Marcus said before rushing him. Suddenly, Mercury opened the red vail and chucked it his father's burnt flesh and open cuts, the glass broke on contact as the alcohol seeped into his scars. Suddenly, his chest was set on fire, causing him to scream in pain.

"Got you!" Mercury said as he pointed at his father flailing in agony, "While I would rather forget, but I remember all your different brews and concoctions." He said as Marcus screamed, "That red vail was made with fire dust gems, but you also made it was a potent type of hydrogen peroxide!" Mercury then took up a fighting stance, seeing the deadly killer unable to defend, "Now's my chance." He said before rushing forward at high speed, kicking his father in the chin. Marcus flew across the plains, the fire slowly fading from his body.

Mercury rushed ahead of him, kicking his father into the sky. The deadly killer coughed blood as he ascended but suddenly felt Mercury appeared behind him. Mercury locked his arms around his father, pinning him, "This is for Jack!" Mercury said in a serious voice before pulling back with his father, their bodies radiating a green aura and the two plumbing back towards the ground. At the last second, Mercury tossed Marcus to the ground, causing his father to land on the back of his neck.

Mercury rolled as he landed on the ground, coming to a stop a few meters away. with his breath heavy, he picked himself up, "Mercury…" Marcus called in a weak voice, blood in the corner of his mouth. Mercury had a look of confusion before walking over to his father, his legs clanking, "I…from the neck down…" Marcus said as Mercury looked down at his father's unmoving body in the crater, "Can't move."

"You know, I don't believe in destiny like my boss," Mercury commented before having a small smile, "But this does feel like karma."

"Son…" Marcus said with the smile fading from Mercury's face, "My father killed my grandfather…I killed my father." He said with his eyes looking up at the grey-haired assassin, "No matter how much you hate me, you will eventually become just like me in the horrible world."

"…" Mercury responded before closing his eyes, "That has been my greatest nightmare ever since I could remember." He said before opening his eyes, glaring down at his father, "But I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't become a reality." He said before turning around, "Including doing this." He said before turning around, his father's eyes widening.

"What!?" Marcus said as Mercury walked away, "Hey! Get back here!" he called while Mercury ignored his father, "You're a lazy fool, come back and finish the job!" Marcus shouted as his eyes twitched, "Get back here and ki-" Marcus shouted as he tried to move his head, leading to a cracking noise.

Mercury stopped before he slowly looked back at Marcus, seeing his father's body remained motionless on the ground. The grey-haired assassin then sighed before walking off. Eventually, he made his way back towards Ushi and Jack, whose broke leg was in a splint. The two looked up at Mercury with a mix of worry and relief, but he responded to the two with a smile, "It's done," Mercury said, causing them to smile back, "Let's head home."

 **AN: There you go, Mercury finally finished a fight with both his legs attached! Granted, Jack does lose a leg in this battle, that was a hard part to write. Ushi got her battle against her father, but it was Mercury who stepped in with the gift from Kato. Those new legs made him even faster than his sister, the ability to fly at high speed, and the little wings just give a nod to the Hermes mythology Mercury Black is based on. His fight wish Marcus was fun to write, (It was unintentional, but I do think that fight has a similar story beat to the Yang and Blake verse Adam from the cannon in V6. I think that fight is about as good as it could have been, and most of that volume better than the prior ones in my opinion). I really liked the ending with Marcus' last words before Mercury walks away and the fact that he killed himself after being paralyzed, a very poetic death. Of all the character arcs in this story, I really liked what I did with Mercury here. Next up, we head back to the alters with a certain cat faunus' struggle. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	79. Chapter 76 - Regrets

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Out of all the section in my story, this one is probably the most different from my original idea of how it would play out. In the end, I do think this is the better version for the character involved. As the last chapter hinted at, this one does show Blake Alter in action finally. I really enjoyed making her powers and abilities here, (If you have ever read the manga** _ **Urami Koi, Koi, Urami Koi**_ **then you can see what the inspiration for of her character here. If you haven't read that manga, I recommend it, it's good). Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 76 – Regrets**

 _Blake_

Her eyes twitching as she regained consciousness, Blake woke up. She quickly discovered she was laying on a bed of sand, the sound of the ocean to her right, the wind of blowing through the forest on her left. While her vision was blurry, she made out the silhouette of someone facing the ocean towards the setting sun, "So, you finally woke up." The person said in a matching voice to Blake's, "You know, I was supposed to keep you impressed in a magical barrier like the other alters were instructed." She said with Blake's eyes focusing, seeing the grey cat alter, her alter, turn towards her with feline eyes of hate glowing in the darkening mood, "But I can't hold back my instincts anymore."

"What?" Blake said in shock as she tried to get up, but staggered as her body remembered the pain, she had endured against the Avenger Grimm. Her mind then flashed back to a moment of darkness as she felt like a black mud covered her entire body. She then looked back at the grey cat alter, "What are you?"

"Your Alter, making me nothing that you are," Blake Alter responded, "I'm not a coward and I'm not a follower." She said before extending her hands to her sides, "I carve my own path, even if I have to do it with my own bare hands." She then pointed at Blake with her left hand, "But before I can do that, you can no longer exist in this world." She said as Blake gritted her teeth, standing as she reached to spawn her Gambol Shroud. However, nothing came, "Looking for this?" Blake Alter said as Blake looked towards her the grey cat alter, pull the weapon in its cleaver sheath from behind her back. Blake Alter then tossed the weapon over her should and far into the ocean, "It won't save you, nothing will."

Suddenly, Blake Alter rushed her original. Before the Blake could do anything, her alter punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall back to her knee. Blake Alter glared down at her original before kicking her in the face, sending her into the closest tree. Before Blake could cough from the blood filling her nose, Blake Alter grabbed her by the mouth with her left hand, pinning her to the tree.

Blake Alter then reeled back with a right arm like a claw as her original's eyes widened with fear. However, Blake Alter ceased her movement, "You are truly pathetic." The grey cat alters spoke, "I don't even have to try to kill you." She said before letting go of Blake, causing her to slide against the tree into a sitting position, "How about you go and run away like you always do?" Blake Alter said with a slight smirk forming on her face.

"You-" Blake responded in anger before her Alter stomped on her right ankle with an audible popping sound, "AAAAH!" Blake screamed in pain as she grabbed her right leg.

"However, I can't have you go too far." Blake Alter responded, "I need you as bait to get someone stronger here to weakling Chaldea's defenses." She said before kneeling and picking up Blake by the hair, "That's all you are go for now." the grey cat alter said before smirking again, "Nothing more, but always less." She whispered to Blake before chucking her into the forest, watching her original's body bound against the bark of a tree before landing in some shrubbery.

Blake Alter cackled hearing something in the sky. She looked up to see the chariot in the distance flying over her position. Suddenly, Blake Alter smirked before entering the forest, "Well, for a second I thought Achilles was coming to save you." She called out to Blake, "But my bad, he must be heading to a different distress signal." The grey cat alter said as she made her way through the shrubbery, "I guess he doesn't care about you as much as you hoped." Suddenly, Blake Alter approached an unconscious Blake next to a tree, causing her to smirk, "Really, you think you can fool me of all people." She said as she looked around, "I know this is your shadow, it can't fool me." She said before the unconscious Blake slowly vanished, "You can't hide from me either." Blake Alter said as she looked at the numerous trees. She then looked at her left hand, seeing the bit of her original's blood from the time she grabbed her, "I'll find you." She said before sniffing the blood, then turning to one of the trees. As Blake Alter approached the tree, she reeled back her right arm like a claw. Once she circled the shrub, a smile was on her face as she was about to grab something.

However, no one was there. Blake Alter had a look of confusion until she saw a small patch of blood on the bark of the tree, "Cleaver move," She regretfully said before smirking, looking at the rest of the trees, "But I will find you."

A few trees over, Blake hid, trying to keep her breathing at a minimum, "Calm down, I have to calm down." She said to herself as Blake Alter searched.

"So, which of your friends will come to save you; Ruby, Weiss, Yang?" Blake Alter called while she searched, "Or will it be none of them because they aren't really your friends."

"She is just trying to get to me," Blake thought herself as she gritted her teeth.

"I have your memories; I know you think of them as friends, you would put your life on the line for them." Blake Alter called out, "But in reality, they wouldn't do the same." She said before looking behind a tree, discovering nothing, "After all, you're just a faunus, not a human like them."

"That doesn't matter, that doesn't matter." Blake said as she shut her eyes, "That doesn't-"

"The only place you really felt like you belonged was the White Fang," Blake Alter spoke as she searched, "But then you had to run away because you couldn't stand getting your hands dirty." She then slashed a tree, her arm morphing into that of a cat' claw for a second. Her arm then returned to normal before her eyes filled with hate, "It always has to be about you, doesn't it!?" She said as her voice got louder, "You always have to have everything your way!"

"Shut up!" Blake spoke to herself as she covered her ears.

"You can't ever be the one to change, is it!" Blake Alter said before kicking a tree over.

"Shut up!" Blake said as she sweats, "You're wrong about me!"

"And because you don't change, others have to change around you to make up for it. That have to do the things you were too afraid to do!" Blake Alter said before punching down another tree, "It's because of you that Adam became a monster!"

"Shut up!" Blake said to herself, but slightly louder than before. She then covered her mouth in the realization of her error. She then looked up to see Blake Alter's left-hand coil around the bark of the tree she was behind.

"You know, I do have a plan after this war is over." Blake Alter said, "I will go back to Vale, back to White Fang, and will find Adam." She smiled as Blake's heart was racing in panic, "You and I both know he is a lost course now. That's why I will make him submit to me for a change." She said as she crushed the bark with her palm, her hand morphing into that of a black cat's claws, "And if he refuses, I'll rip his heart out of his chest." She said as her head started to move around the tree, "Like what I will do to y-"

Suddenly, an arrow pierced the center of Blake Alter's left palm, pinning it to the tree. Blake looking shocked as the grey cat alter screamed in pain, not noticing her original yet. Blake Alter pulled out the arrow as she glared in the direction it came from. As she looked through the leaves and tree, she saw a small gleam. But before she could react, an arrow pierced her right shoulder. Blake Alter then snarled in anger before rushing into the deep woods.

Blake watched in shock as her alter ran off, not seeing her hiding spot. She let out a sigh of relief, before hearing twigs snapping from above. She looked up to see Achilles on a high branch, "Blake!" he said before jumping down next to her, "Don't worry, everything is going to be okay."

"Achilles!?" Blake responded, "I thought you-"

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," Achilles said before reaching behind his back, pulling out a roll of bandages, "Our group split up to handle rescuing you and Medusa." He then found a set of study branches and started forming a splint, "Atalanta spotted you and your Alter from a distance and is luring her away." the young hero said before applying the splint to Blake's right ankle, "I'll try to do what I can now, but you will need to stay off this leg. We should get you back to Chaldea fast."

"Achilles," Blake said with him looking up at her, seeing a sincere smile on her face, "Thank you." She said with him giving a similar smile back. As he went back to applying the splint as Blake looked up at the tree leaves, "Do have regrets?" She asked with him stopping to look at her, noticing tears forming in the sides of her eyes, "Because I do." She said as she watched the leaves fall, "I failed to save a close friend from becoming…something I should never have let him become." She said as she saw the leaves touch the ground, seeing back of a man with red hair in a black suit in her mind, "So I ran away…because I was afraid. I couldn't do anything to save him anymore." She said through her tears as Achilles sat next to her, "But, I could have tried more, I could have-"

Achilles then looked up at the tree leaves, cutting her off, "Blake, I have regrets too," he said as he watched the leaves fall, "My mother used to tell me, 'Live as a hero and die as a hero.' That was what she wanted of me." He said as Blake listen, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes, "I used to think that meant win every fight because a hero never loses. But that's not what she meant." He said before turning towards the cat faunus, "It was to know what fights to win, and what fights to lose." He said as the leaves touched the ground, "There is a fight I regret winning because it turned someone into… well, you know. And her actions have caused others a lot of pain." Achilles said as the image of the berserker queen came to his mind. He then turned back to Blake, "We all have regrets and we can't change what has been done." He then stood up as he offered her a hand, "But we do everything in our power to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Blake had a soft smile as she accepted his hand, "I think you're right Achilles," She said with him smiling, "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you," Achilles responded with a chuckle, "It was my battle with your blond teammate that helped me come to this revelation." He said with her chuckle, slightly staggering with pain, "Hey, take it easy." He said as he helped Blake stand, letting her lean on his shoulder, "I need to take you back to Chaldea."

"We can't stop now, my alter is still out there," The cat faunus said as she remembered, "We need to back up Atalanta."

"I don't think you have to worry about Sis that much," Achilles responded with a slight chuckle, "She's a lot tough than you think."

 _Atalanta_

The lioness faunus stood atop a sturdy branch, her bow drawn as a piercing gaze sweep through the forest. She fired an arrow into the wilderness, cutting through the leaves and twigs to eventually hit Blake Alter in the right thigh, "DAMN YOU!" the grey cat alter screamed as she ran towards the tree Atalanta was perched in. Blake Alter then punched the true down, but the lioness faunus jumped off, firing another arrow in the grey cat alter's other thigh.

Atalanta landed on her feet as Blake Alter snared at her, "So, the alter of Blake is a berserker." She said as drew her bowstring.

"That right," Blake Alter said as she sneered, "And I am nothing like my original. I am-" She was saying until Atalanta shot her in the mouth, piercing the tongue, "MMMMMM!" Blake Alter screamed as her mouth filled with blood. She glared at Atalanta, who was smirking back.

"I believe in the other kingdom; they refer to the title of heroic spirits as hunters and huntresses." The lioness faunus spoke up.

Blake Alter ripped out the arrow from her mouth and spat on the ground, her tongue healing as she spoke clearly, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't see you as an opponent," she said before drawing her bowstring back with an arrow, "I only see you as prey for me to exterminate." She then unleashed her bow with multiple arrows fired at the same time. The arrows riddled Blake Alter's body as she screamed in pain, but the grey cat alter then rushed forward with a tackle. However, Atalanta jumped over her, "It's time to hunt." While in midair, Atalanta show a volley of arrows again, this time filling the entire back of the grey cat alter. The lioness faunus landed on her feet as she saw Blake Alter, her body riddled with over two dozen arrow, "You seem to have impressive healing, but I have faith in my arrows wearing you down."

"Hehehehe," Blake Alter said in a cackle as Atalanta had a look of confusion, "I remember that conversation we had a while ago." She then turned back to the lioness faunus with a sinister smile, "You said I didn't hate myself."

"I said that to Blake, not you," Atalanta responded.

"That's the thing, I hate myself. I hate Blake. And I hate you." Blake Alter responded, her body glowing in a black aura, the arrows breaking apart from the unstable energy, "It's that hatred that makes me stronger than my original." Atalanta watched as the black aura expanded, Blake Alter's body resembling that of a Grimm's compaction, "I am the embodiment of Hate, the true representation of that negative emotion." She said as her animal appendages began to enlarge, her arms and legs turning into the limbs of feline, "In this form, I cast aside the name of my original." She said before her catlike eyes glowed red, "Call me, Nikushimi." The rest of her body enlarging to the height of the trees around her, the body now representing that of a massive Grimm Cat. The bone armor began to emerge out the spine and tail, the mask soon formed on Nikushimi's face, "RAAAWWWRRRR!" She roared as Atalanta had a look of panic.

The Grimm Cat slashed at the lioness faunus, but Atalanta jumped to dodge, firing another arrow at the creature's body. However, Nikushimi was not fazed by the arrow as glared at her opponent. Atalanta gasped as she noticed the massive tail of the Grimm Cat coming at her. the tail whipped against her body, launching her into the forest as bounced off multiple trees. Atalanta pushed herself up before she saw Nikushimi charging after her, the Grimm Cat's body thrashing through the trees. Atalanta sprinted as she tried to avoid the monster's stashes, but Nikushimi was close on the lion faunus' tail.

"This could be more trouble than I thought." Atalanta said as she avoided the Grimm Cat's slashed by jumping through the gaps between the trees, temporarily pining Nikushimi, "Now's my chance!" She said as she turned around her body glowing with a teal aura for a second, "This is an offering to the two Gods," The lioness faunus said as she drew two arrows in her bow, aimed towards the darkened sky, "Phoebus Catastrophe!" Atalanta declared as she fired the arrows into the sky, each covered in a light green aura.

However, in the middle of her Noble Phantasm, Nikushimi broke through the trees and rushed Atalanta before she had time to dodge. With her right front paw, her claws embedded into the lioness faunus' left shoulder. Atalanta screamed in pain as she was pinned to the ground. Her eyes widened as saw the Grimm Cat's mouth open and salivating. At the last second, the lioness faunus thrush the edge of her bow into Nikushimi's left eye, causing the monster to recoil in pain and loosen the grip on Atalanta. The lioness faunus then sprinted between the Grimm Cat's legs, heading back to where it once was trapped. Nikushimi turned around and glared Atalanta in a rage, pouncing towards her. As Atalanta turned back to Nikushimi's body over her head, she glared at the monster with a piercing gaze. Suddenly, Nikushimi glanced up to see a valley of stars fill the sky. However, they were not stars, but falling arrows covered in a blue and yellow aura. The hail of arrows covered the region on the forest, each bolt blasting off a chunk of Nikushimi's body. While Atalanta stood focused, not a single arrow hitting her body.

A few seconds after the volley stopped, the smoke pasted to reveal the carnage on the land. The lioness faunus stood around the corpse and chunks of the Grimm Cat, her body covered in the creature's thick black blood. She let out a sigh of relief at this hunt's end. However, Atalanta's ear flickered as she felt an ominous presence behind her. She turned to see the severed head of the Grimm Cat, but her eyes widen as Blake Alter busted out of the skull. Atalanta did not have time to sting an arrow as Blake alter pinned her to the ground, the grey cat alter sitting her stomach, "That really hurt!" Blake Alter said as she took the bow and pressed it against Atalanta's neck. The lioness faunus tried to push back with her arms but flinched from the pain in her left shoulder. She began to gasp for air as Blake Alter smiled at her suffering.

Suddenly, Blake Alter felt a sharp pain in her neck. Her head falling without her body moving. Her eyes glanced to her left, seeing the JK Saber stand with a smile as her katana dripped with back blood. Blake Alter's eyes soon went back and speechless as her severed head hit the ground, "I did say a minimum of three." Suzuka said with a smile as Atalanta kicked off the rest of Blake Alter's corpse.

Atalanta coughed before turning to the JK Saber, "Thanks," The lioness faunus said as she caught her breath, "I take it this means you saved Medusa already."

"Not exactly," Suzuka said before sheathing her weapon, "Medusa's Alter was a lot stronger than we thought."

"Where's Penthesilea?" Atalanta asked as she swatted the glops of black blood off her body.

"Oh, she dead." Suzuka bluntly responded with the lioness faunus turning to her with wide eyes, "…JK!" Suzuka said with a giggle, but Atalanta remained deadpan, "She's just turned to stone." The JK Saber then turned around, "Come on, follow me."

The two then walked out of the damaged section of the forest, heading towards back towards a section of the beach. While hidden in the shrubbery, they looked to see the berserker queen as a statue in the middle of a swing of her right fist. Atalanta had a line of sweat go down her face, she then looked over to see the long-haired rider in a red energy cylindrical prison, "Medusa told me about this power of hers. It makes sense that her alter would have that power." Atalanta then looked back to the berserker queen statue, "She has the ability to turned people to stone with her gaze. Even Grimm, but it's irreversible." She then turned back to Suzuka, "Unless the caster of the gaze died."

"So, the only way to turn Penthesilea back is to kill her alter," Suzuka responded before she checked around, "Where did it go?"

Suddenly, Atalanta's ears twitched as she felt a rumbling under her feet, "Move!" She called as she and Suzuka jumped from their position. Erupting from the earth was the massive snake woman, her golden wings shielding her upper body from any rubble. Atalanta and Suzuka landed near the shoreline as they gawked at the size of the monster, "That's Medusa Alter!?" The lioness faunus said before turning to the JK Saber, "You could have informed me of that." She said with Suzuka shrugging.

"I'm Medusa Alter, but that is not my name," the snake-haired monster declared, "I am Gorgon." She said as snakeheads attached to her hair hissed at the two faunus, "And you will be turned to stone." Gorgon declared before her eyes glowed with a purple light, a similar light glowing from the mouths of the snakes. Suddenly, the creature fired a type of beam at the two faunus.

Both jumped in evasion as they tried to avoid getting hit. Atalanta watched a beam passed over a stray crab, trying it into a rock of its former self. She drew her bow a tired to fire at the monster but filched from the pain in her left shoulder. Gorgon then turned her attention to the lionesses faunus, increasing her gazer beams. Atalanta continued to dodge as best she could, but her fatigue was growing in her evasion.

At that moment, Suzuka rushed Gorgon in an attempt for another decapitation. However, one of the golden wing's swatter the JK Saber a way, launching her towards the Penthesilea statue. Atalanta's eyes went into a panic, if the statue were to break, there would be no way to get the berserker queen back. She sprinted away from the gazer beams at high speed, tackling Suzuka out of the way of Penthesilea. The two faunus rolled in the sand before coming to a stop. "Maybe it was better to come up with a plan of attack beforehand," Suzuka commented.

"You think!?" Atalanta responded as the two noticed Gorgon glaring at them, the petrifying beams charging. The lioness faunus gritted her teeth as she knew there was no way to dodge what was coming next.

Suddenly, her lion ears flicked as she felt an ominous pressure. Suzuka did the same before the two looked to the ocean. Even Gorgon felt the pressure, halting her stone gaze. They looked to see the surface water ripple with bubbles reaching the surface. The bubble grew more frantic as a loud battle cry was heard, "▂▂▃▃▅▅!" an inhuman noise was made before a massive man jumped out of the water. His skin was a dark grey and his eyes were red with rage, a gigantic stone ax-sword in his right hand, as he glared at the Gorgon, "▂▂▃▃▃▃▅▅▅▅!"

 _Heracles_

Heracles charged at the massive snake monster, who responded with her stone gazes. He held his sword in the way to block the beams, Gorgon's gaze had no effect on his weapon, "▃▃▅▅▃▃!" Heracles shouted as he jumped towards his opponent, driving his ax-sword into the snake monster's left shoulder. He then kicked off the creature's stomach, launching Gorgon into the trees at the edge of the forest. He readied his blade as Gorgon gritted her teeth in rage.

Suzuka and Atalanta watched in shock, "…What just happened?" the JK Saber asked.

"I don't know," The lioness faunus responded.

"▂▂▂!" Heracles said as he dodged Gorgon's attacks. However, one of the beams his left arm, slowly causing it to turn to rock. In a quick action, he chopped off his left arm before the stone could reach the rest of his flesh. After his blood spilled in the sand for a few seconds, his arm started to regenerate, "▅▅▅■■■■!"

"The way that person is fighting Gorgon," Atalanta commented to Suzuka, "Could he be Hera-"

"▅▅■■■!" Heracles said before one of the snakeheads bit his arm, prompting him to stab Gorgon on the stomach.

"Doesn't matter right now who he is!" Suzuka responded with a serious face, "Our best play is to use this distraction to get Medusa and Penthesilea faraway from here." She said with Atalanta nodding. As the lioness faunus turned to try and move the statue of Penthesilea, Suzuka smirked, "JK!"

"Wait what?" Atalanta responded as Suzuka drew her sword, "No, you had a good plan!"

"But I also said I was tired of being on the sidelines." The JK Saber said as she smiled at Atalanta, showing off her sharp fangs, "And I wasn't kidding about that." Suddenly, a red arch emerged out of the sand with Suzuka jumping on it, raising her left hand as she closed her eyes, a smirk on her face, "Chant. Unravel the pillow's cords and hear my voice," She said as she spawned a golden sword with a ribbon at the end of the handle, "Daitouren, the gathered Eight Clouds, pierce the throng of evil spirits," The sword then floated and spun over her head before multiplying into over one-hundred swords, forming four expanding circles overhead, "Manjusri's Sword of Wisdom Daishintou!" She opened her eyes as she lowered her arm, aiming at Heracles and Gorgon, "Blast of love, Tenkiame!" All the swords then aimed at the two before firing. Gorgon felt the first few stab her back before realizing the attack. Heracles blocked multiple with her ax-sword. However, the two were some overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacks. A large dust cloud filled the area of the beach after the blade storm had stopped. Suzuka smirked as she turned to look down at Atalanta, "See, everything worked out."

Suddenly, one of the gazer beams shot out of the dust cloud, hitting Suzuka right in the chest. A look of confusion started to form on her face until it was frozen in stone. Atalanta gasped in horror as Gorgon emerged from the dust cloud, a look of irritation and anger on her face. The lioness faunus then looked to see Suzuka starting to fall from her red arch. Atalanta jumped to catch the JK Saber, hold her in her arms as she landed on the sand. However, while she prevented the statue from being damaged, her body pinned under its weight. She then gasped as Gorgon slithered over to her, the snake's charging the stone beams.

However, Atalanta heard a battle cry come from the dust cloud, "▅▅ーーー!" She saw the Gorgon turned, discovering Heracles screaming as he changed at the snake-haired monster, his right eye gleaming with a red light of fury, "▂▂▃▃▅▅-▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■■!" Heracles declared before slashing Gorgon across the chest, unleashing a second slash before she could recover, followed by a three, followed by a fourth. With each slash, his speed grew with his ferocity. The Gorgon's body was unable to defend as chunks of her flesh, wings, and hair was flung off her body. After the hundredth slash, only a tattered corpse of the snake monster remained. Heracles then lifted his ax-sword over his hand before bringing it down in a vertical slash, bisecting the creatures for the last time. "▂▂▃▃▅▅▅▅ーーー!" Heracles shouted to the sky as the Gorgon's body began to evaporate.

Heracles then looked down to see Atalanta, who had a look of focus as she stared back. after a few seconds, he turned back toward the ocean, then walked into the water. Atalanta had a look of confusion as The Immortal Great Hero left the battlefield.

Suddenly, Atalanta looked down to see smoke coming from the Suzuka statue. After a few seconds, the stone withered away as her flesh returned. Suzuka had a look of confusion on her face as the lioness faunus glared at her, "…Sorry." She said before Atalanta pushed her off her body.

As the two go up, they saw the red energy barrier around Medusa fade as she fell into the sand. They then turned to see Penthesilea fall to her knees as emerged from her petrified form, "Wha!?" She said before examining the area, "What happened?" She and the others then heard the sound horses from above, causing them to look up.

They discovered Achilles on his chariot coming in for a landing, "Hey Sis," he said as he walked over to Atalanta, "I took Blake back to Chaldea and rushed back as fast as I could." He said before examining the area, "Did you all take out her alter and Medusa's alter!?"

"Well," Suzuka spoke up, "An incredibly strong man, wielding an ax-sword, came out of nowhere and gave up a hand."

"WHAT!?" Achilles said with excitement in his voice, "Are you telling me you meet-" he was saying before he realized something, "Wait, I know where this is going," the young hero said before crossing his arms as he smirked, "JK, right?"

"Huh?" Suzuka responded.

"That one almost had me," Achilles said with a chuckle as he walked away, "For a moment, I believed you were talking about Heracles."

Suzuka was about to speak up, but Atalanta grabbed her right shoulder, "Just let it go," The lioness faunus said with a sigh, "If he does learn the truth, it might break his heart." She said she had a slight smile, "He used to tell me how he wanted to someday meet Heracles and challenge him to a fight." Suzuka the smiled back before the two walked towards the chariot.

Achilles walked over to pick up the unconscious Medusa. He then looked over to see Penthesilea, her arms crossed as she looked out to the ocean, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," She responded through her teeth as, not turning to face him.

Achilles sighed before he heard a small stamped at the other end of the beach. He turned to see a large variety of Grimm changing towards them from a distance. Suddenly, the young hero had an idea, "Hey, I can't take more than four on the chariot. We also can't let that horde reach Chaldea or the town. That means one of us needs to stay behind." He said to Penthesilea, who was still not facing him, "It's dangerous, but out of all us, you the best shot of deafening them."

After a few seconds, Penthesilea turned towards the horde as she started walking, "Get the others out of here," The queen berserker said as she cracked her knuckles, "I have to vent anyway."

Achilles nodded as he smiled, turning away as Penthesilea spawned her spiked balls and chains, "Well, it's a start." He muttered to himself before hearing Penthesilea screaming a battle cry, charging at the Grimm. The young hero got on his chariot, placing Medusa to the side as Atalanta and Suzuka got on as well.

Atalanta looked over the forest, seeing more and more Grimm flood through the trees, "This is getting worse, they're almost endless." She said before noticing the area where she had launched her Noble Phantasm, seeing the corpse of Blake Alter's Grimm Cat from. Around the fading flesh were a few Grimm Boarbatusk, eating the chuck as fast as they could, "Those creatures always disgust me." She said as they flew across the forest and towards Chaldea, "Hopefully, this invasion will end soon."

 **AN: There you go, two more students saved. Blake and Achilles share a moment that I enjoyed writing and drawing parallels for. Atalanta was awesome to write here, showing off her skills and personality. Suzuka was also fun to have for comedy here. Gorgon was more a threat than a character in retrospect. I mean, she does only say two lines in her exitance here, but that's all she needed to be for this story. Bringing back Heracles has been a plan for a long time and I was so happy to do it for this. Some may ask what he is this world is, and he is The Immortal Great Hero. Not every legend needs every detail explained, just the ones that prove why they are a legend to begin with. Heracles was the hero that inspired others to fight and he will always protect this kingdom if he is truly needed. Now, only one student needs saving from his alter. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**

 **Edit: I added a small section to the middle of Chapter 66 - Bite Back to strengthen the parallel between Blake and Achilles. This isn't a retcon, just something I should have done for this moment to be stronger here.**


	80. Chapter 77 - As We Fall

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is awesome, one that I am proud how it turned out. The action near the end is some of my favorite so far, I really hope you like it. Thank you for all the support and please check out the Tv Tropes page for this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 77 – As We Fall**

 _Emiya_

Kiritsugu drove as Arturia's eyes started to flinch. She then opened them to see the head of the special operation, "Wha?" the King of Knight said before her eyes widen, the feeling of dried tears on her face, "Where's Diarmuid?"

"He stayed behind so we could escape," Kiritsugu responded, "Because of that, he is most likely dead." He said bluntly as Arturia's eyes widened, the tears reforming, "Apocrypha in the middle of a war right now. We need to head back to Chaldea." His eyes then lingered to the fuel gauge, causing him to slightly grit his teeth, "This isn't going to be enough fuel."

"Look out!" Arturia warned as Kiritsugu turned to his right. His eyes widened as a what he thought was a Grimm charging at them. In actuality, it was a black car that rocketed towards them, driving at high speed. The vehicle slammed into the Kiritsugu's car, sideswiping it as the front airbags went off. Arturia hung to her seat as to not get flung out of the car.

Both automobiles came to a stop, but the black car was not nearly as damaged as Kiritsugu's. He looked over at the vehicle and had a realization of its familiarity. Suddenly, the driver side door opened of the black vehicle with Irisviel poking her head out, "Kiritsugu!" She said with a smile on her face, "What are the odds of running it for you here."

Inside the black car, Ishtar sat in the back seat, her body petrified as her eyes were wide with shock, "How did she hit him?" She said to herself, "There was literally nothing else for miles."

In the back front, Cinder sat with a similar expression, "I thought I was going to die" The black-haired archer said as she felt her heart race, "My whole life flashed before my eyes."

"Oh, come on, you two had your seatbelts on," Iri responded before exiting her car. As she walked towards the crash site, seeing the King of Knight drag herself out of the back seat, "Oh hey, Arturia. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Likewise, Iri," Arturia said with a weak chuckle, resting her back against the wall of the car, "I see you still like to play with that toy." She as Iri smiled. The pale skinned woman then placed her right hand on the King of Knight, causing the two to glow with white energy. The wounds and cuts on Arturia's body started to fade, "Thank you." She responded as Iri nodded.

Iri the stood up to look at her husband, a serious expression forming on her face, "Shirou's in danger." She said with him slightly gasping, "It may sound selfish, but that is the only thing that matters right now." She said before a smile formed on her face again, but her eyes were full of determination, "Let's go save our son." Iri asked with Kiritsugu nodding, causing her smile to become warmer. As he walked over to her, he extended his right palm to the pale skinned woman. She had a look of confusion for a second, but he continued to glare at. As Iri pouted, she handed him the keys to the black car.

Kiritsugu walked towards the vehicle as he spoke to the King of Knights, "Arturia, stay here." He then looked at the back at her in the realization of a question, "Do you still have Avalon?"

"I do…" Arturia responded as she stood up, but her breathing still weighing, placing her right hand on her chest, "But even its power can't stop what is happening to my body." She then looked back to the two, "If I were to remove it, in the condition I am now, I would not just die. I would fade away." she then clenched her right palm as she looked down, "I am sorry, but I cannot give it to you."

"Understood." Kiritsugu said before turning to his wife, "Iri, send a distress signal to this location." He said with her nodding. Kiritsugu entered the driver seat as Cinder got out of the car, moved to the back seat, so that Iri could sit in front, "Stay here and wait." He said with Arturia not knowing how to respond. Kiritsugu closed the door before restarting the car and driving off, the King of Knights watching as they left.

Catching her breath, Ishtar turned to Cinder, "Okay, now that I can think straight," She asked with a look of focus, "BB."

"Is this really the time?" Cinder responded as Ishtar glared, causing her to sigh, "Your sister's digital diary was hacked and-"

"I know that part," Ishtar responded, "Why was it done to my sister?" She said as Kiritsugu listened while he drove.

Cinder crossed her arms, "From the file I read, she was one of a couple of candidates who had an extensive emotional background from those dairies that the AI could be based on." She then glared back at Ishtar, "I have my methods of how I found this information, but I cannot disclose that to you."

"You're saying you had nothing to do with BB being made, you only figured it out." Ishtar said with Cinder nodding, "Then why did you kill her?"

"Kill her, me?" Cinder responded, "I wasn't even in the round."

"But your teammate was," Ishtar responded, "The feed returned with Neo where BB stood when I fought her. It doesn't take an idiot to put two-and-two together." She said with Cinder gritting her teeth, "Why have her killed, it left you without more to lose than gain?"

Cinder then sighed again, "Here's a question for you." She said before looking Ishtar in the eyes, "How do you convince someone that a ghost isn't real?" Ishtar had a look of confusion at the randomness of the question, "My answer, you convince them that the spirit has truly moved on." Ishtar's eyes then widened at the realization, "Rin, if you really think I killed someone, I will remind you that Sakura died seven years ago. BB is not Sakura. BB was an android made by Atlas from Sakura's stolen dairy files, that's it. The more that you hold onto the idea that she was Sakura, the more that you prove that still haven't moved on from her actual death." Cinder then glared as she looked at Rin, "And before you think about how this makes you feel, just think for a second what Shirou has been going through."

"Shirou…" Rin responded before she had a slight realization.

"There he is." Iri cut off their conversation. The others looked to see Archer trapped in a cylindrical red energy prison. Next to him stood his Alter, glaring at the approaching car, "And…him again?"

"That one is not Shirou, it's an Alter," Kiritsugu said as he glared at Archer Alter. The head of special operations then looked towards the dashboard, seeing a small monitor. He then placed his right hand on it, the monitor verifying his fingerprints. Suddenly, the center armrest opened to reveal a hidden compartment, inside being an old fashion in a familiar design to the one that was damaged earlier this day, "My backup Contender." He said to himself as he looked at the magazine, "Only one shot." He then opened the door as he looked at the other, "I'll keep his attention, you find a way to get Shirou out of that prison."

"Kiritsugu wait-!" Iri said, but her husband was already focused on his opponent. Iri gritted her teeth before exiting the car, looking over at Archer Alter. However, his eyes were focused on Kiritsugu, cold and careless in his gaze.

"Iri, stay close to me," Ishtar said as she got next to the pale skinned girl. Cinder next to the others before they ran for the imprisoned red mantel warrior.

Archer Alter glared at Kiritsugu with Kiritsugu glaring back. He held his Contender in the right hand, lowered to the ground. While his opponent was empty-handed, his arms to the sides. The silence fell over the area as a cool breeze flowed through the grass. Suddenly, Archer Alter's hands flashed with a light blue light, tracing his weapons. At that moment, Kiritsugu new Kanshou and Bakuya were coming, his perception began to increase, "The ten meters of separation, meaning it would take only seconds for those blades to travel the distance between us." He thought before taking a breath, "He could dodge the shot unless I fire just before the moment he lets go of the blades. But I need to cut the distance between us in half. That is when he will have the least time to evade." Kiritsugu's eyes then focused, "Time alter - double accel." Suddenly, the flow of time slowed to Kiritsugu as he rushed forward. Archer Alter's hands had about formed the two blades Kiritsugu closed the gap to five meters. However, as he started to aim, the Kanshou and Bakuya he saw were different. The blades at the ends of a pistol each, acting as a bayonet, "Handguns!?" Kiritsugu thought in shock as Archer Alter then fired.

The head of special operations then dodged the bullets, stopping himself from taking a shot that would miss. Archer Alter then began his rapid fire with the two handguns as Kiritsugu dodged. Archer Alter then rushed him as Kiritsugu aimed his Contender, "…Do it." Archer Alter spoke as Kiritsugu's eyes widen, "One for one." He said before he aimed Bakuya at Kiritsugu's chest.

At that moment, both shot at the same time. Iri, Ishtar, and Cinder looked over to see both guys flung backward from the other. Iri's eyes widened in horror as Kiritsugu coughed blood as he landed on his back, "Kiritsugu!" Iri said before she started running over to her injured husband.

"Stay back," Kiritsugu tried to warn, but it was too late. A bullet from Kanshou pierced Iri's right knee, causing her to fall over in agony. Cinder and Ishtar ran to Iri aid as she clenched her leg. Kiritsugu then looked over in horror as Archer Alter started to rise. Expanding from the entry wound made by the Origin Round, the alter's body glowed with a yellow ooze, appearing like cracks on his skin, even covering his head, "The origin round didn't work!?" Kiritsugu said as Archer Alter placed his left hand on his own face.

"This sensation of the body breaking," Archer Alter spoke with a smile forming, "Feels good." He said with Kiritsugu's eyes widening, "Your bullet would not kill me, because I have no origin." He said as he lowered his left hand, "I am a nameless being, only to exists to kill."

"Shirou!" Iri said to Archer Alter, "You have sto-"

In the middle of her words, Archer Alter shot his Kanshou twice at Iri. Ishtar blocked the bullets with her golden arch bow, "Do not call me that ever again!" The nameless alter said as a look of horror filled Iri's eyes. Cinder and Ishtar stood between the two, causing Archer Alter to sigh, "Very well, I will slaughter you two first."

Ishtar aimed with her right arm as her left held her forearm for support. Cinder spawned her short sword of dust in her right hand, but gritted her teeth, "Damnit, I didn't have enough time to restock." She said before she glared at Archer Alter, "This will have to do."

"Just stay out of my way," Ishtar said to Cinder as she focused on Archer Alter, "I'll take him out."

A silence fell over the area at this standoff. Suddenly, the nameless alter fired his handguns in rapid fire. The bullets of Kanshou followed Cinder as she dodged to the left. The bullets of Bakuya were aimed at Ishtar, but she blocked each one with her golden arch bow while she ascended. Rin then fired an energy shot from her weapon, but Archer Alter dodged. He jumped straight for her in the air, aiming both handguns at her now.

Cinder jumped to intercept the nameless alter, slashing with her short sword. However, Archer Alter blocked with the bayonet of the Kanshou handgun. In the parry, he then aimed Bakuya at Cinder's head. Suddenly, an energy blast destroyed the barrel of Bakuya, making it unable to fire. Archer Alter looked up to see it was Ishtar who was the culprit, a slight smile on her face. At that moment, Archer Alter flung the rest of Bakuya at Rin fast than she could block. The blade impended in Ishtar's right thigh as she screamed in pain.

Archer Alter then turned his attention back to Cinder, fell towards her with the bayonet of Kanshou. The blade clashed with her short sword, with Cinder gritting her teeth, "Overheat." She chanted before her dust short sword glowed hotter, melting into the bayonet of Kanshou's handgun.

However, before it could reach the barrel, Archer Alter kicked Cinder away. As both landed on the ground at the same time, the nameless archer glared at her, "You…" he said as he reached behind his back, "Our first meeting, you told me you wanted to learn my reality marble." He then had a slight smile as he pulled out a single bullet, "Well, you can have it." Archer Alter said as Cinder had a look of confusion, "I am the bone of my sword." He chanted as he loaded the round into his handgun, his body radiating a purple and red aura. Cinder's eyes then widened in fear, "So as I pray," He said before aiming, Cinder paralyzed to move as the others watched in panic, "Unlimited Lost Works!" Archer Alter declared before shooting, the bullet cutting through the air with the same chaotic aura.

Before she could register it, the bullet pierced Cinder's abdomen. She looked down in pain as blood filled her mouth. Suddenly, she felt her insides rip apart as she held her sides. From her right side, a spear emerged from her right shoulder. Another spear emerged from her back as she screamed in pain. A sword erupting out of her right thigh as tears of blood poured from her face. Kiritsugu gritted his teeth knowing what was about to happen. Tears followed from Iri's eyes. Ishtar gasped in dread at Cinder's cries. All the way from his red energy prison, Archer slowly opened his eyes, regaining his consciousness. He looked over to see Cinder, who turned to him with suffering eyes. Suddenly, the rest of the unlimited lost works erupted from her body, an explosion of blood covering the area. Shirou's eyes then widened in horror as his heart sunk.

 _Cinder_

 _ **How sad. You were one of my best students. I truly wished for you to live in our dream world. A world we would have built together. Cinder, in a land of humans who constantly lie to themselves of their true nature, you did not. That you would meet such a gruesome end is a travesty. However, this is where I must close the book on you, my friend.**_

…

Archer Alter then lowered his weapon as he turned to the rest of the group, "Now, who's next?" he said to Iri, Kiritsugu, and Ishtar.

…

… _ **But you are not that weak to die here,**_

Suddenly, everyone felt a heatwave over the area. Archer Alter turned to the source, but his eyes widened in shock as the sources of the heat were mass of blood-stained blades. The frames began to melt as the heat grew stronger. In an explosion, the unlimited lost works blasted into pieces. The shrapnel covered the area as Cinder stood at the origin. Her body tattered and skin burning, the exit wounds of the blades were seared close with fire, "You…" Cinder spoke in a determined voice as she glared at Archer Alter, her eyes glowing with a fiery yellow aura.

 _ **Are you, Fall Maiden?**_

Cinder held her short sword in her right hand, the blade glowing a white-hot red. Archer Alter aimed his Kanshou, she then launched herself at him like a rocket, a trail of fire in her wake. Cinder slashed the barrel of the Kanshou handgun before a shot could get off. The Fall Maiden then aimed her left hand at his chest, a blast of fire erupted from her palm. Archer Alter flung back in pain; his mantle burnt off his upper torso.

Archer Alter then tossed his weapon aside as he spawned a new Kanshou and Bakuya. However, the two were combined into one as a double-ended lance. He then rushed Cinder with a horizontal slash, but the Fall Maiden jumped. Her body engulfed in fire as she sored through the air, flanking the nameless alter from behind. He tried to turn around fast enough to slash her, but as he looked behind, no one was there. Suddenly, he felt a right heel kick him in the right side of the head, launching him across the plain. Archer Alter shut his right eye in pain, the fluids boiling as he tried to recover. However, Cinder got behind him again, kicking him up into the sky towards the clouds.

"Unbelievable," Ishtar said as she saw Cinder ascended to meet Archer Alter, "How did she-" She said until she heard Kiritsugu chough, Iri crawling over to place her hand on his body. The two started to glow in white light. Rin then looked over to them and nodded, "Okay, I'll make sure they are safe." She thought before looking back up to the sky, "You kill that thing."

In the sky, Cinder and Archer Alter clashed in the clouds, the blades sparking against each other, "What is this power?" He asked before Cinder slashed across his chest.

"What it is doesn't matter," Cinder responded, "All you need to know. This is my power." The Fall Maiden then slashed again, this time cutting the double ended lance in half. The Kanshou end fell back towards the ground, but Archer Alter gripped the Bakuya end with his right hand. He attempted to stab her with the blade, but Cinder reached out her left hand, cutting her palm against the blade in the process, but grabbing his right hand to stop the thrust. Suddenly, her left hand glowed in a white heat, then transferred it to the nameless alter's right hand. As she let go, Archer Alter's hand turned to dust, fading in the wind as Bakuya fell, "The moment I saw you. I knew you weren't Shirou." She said with a smirk with Archer Alter glaring, "He would never hurt those he cared about." Suddenly, the nameless alter the reached for her neck with his left hand. In his rage, Cinder then tossed her short sword at Archer Alter's head between his eyes. The blade burnt through his skull before stopping halfway. The two started to fall away from each other as Cinder smirked, her open right palm aim at him, "Now, be forgotten, like the falling leaves of autumn." She said before closing her palm. Suddenly, the white-hot short blade of dust exploded, turning Archer Alter into ash.

Cinder fell back in the shockwave, her fiery aura fading from her body, "So this is my new limit." Cinder taught to herself as she couldn't move her body anymore, "At this altitude, I'll die once I hit the ground," the aura around her eyes fading, a weak smile on her face, "I just had this power fully unlocked, now it's about to go to someone else." Cinder said as she closed her eyes, "Heh, destiny can be cruel sometimes." She said with a smile as tears leaked out her closed eyes. The only thing she could hear was the wind as she waited for the impact. Suddenly, she felt something touch her back and legs, but it was not the hard impact of the ground. Her body was cradled in a way familiar to her, someone holding her and softened their landing. Cinder then opened her eyes in confusion, realizing her momentum had stopped. She then looked up to see Shirou holding onto her. Despite his body mangled and form wobbly, he still smiled as he looked down at her. Cinder then smile at him, a look of joy in her eyes, "My hero." She said with a hint of sass in her voice, but in her mind, she truly meant it.

 **AN: There you go, the final one has been saved. However, the war is not over yet and that was not the final alter. Like with Mercury, I really liked my version of Cinder in this story. This is really her defining chapter and the moment she gained the full power of the Fall Maiden through sheer will, (This does mean Amber is dead, passing away as the rest of her power went to Cinder just now. It's something that will be mentioned later, but I thought I would just confirm now for those wondering). This chapter was going to have an additional moment after the last scene, but I love the way this chapter ends too much to change it. Next chapter, we head to Vlad's group and they mysterious enemy. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	81. Chapter 78 - Invincible

**AN: Hey everyone I have the next chapter here. This one is was fun to write for the fight it has. A certain research project finally makes its appearance as Vlad's group tries to take it down. Thank you for all the support and please check out the Tv Tropes page for this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 78 – Invincible**

 _Pyrrha_

Rampaging across the plain was a massive horde of Grimm, their numbers reaching well over the triple digest. They carved their path of destruction, heading towards the five members of Vlad's group. Through the yells and screams of monster, the blond lancer chanted as he reached out his right hand close to his left shoulder, "An incarnation of evil is worthy the retribution of vice," in his mind a single drop of blood drip from the tip of a spear, "Kazikli Bey!" The Lord Impaler declared as sweep his right arm horizontally. Suddenly, as a Beowolf took its step onto the land, a stake rapidly emerged from the ground, impaling the Grimm through his chest. An Ursa met with a similar fate, a spike lifting his body as it pierced his back. Two spikes had struck a deathstalker's head and torso, then another impaled the stinger. The carriage rapidly spread as more Grimm where secured. The ones in the far back tried to turn around, but the emerging spikes allowed no one to escape.

"Wow," Pyrrha said as she watched nearby, "You weren't kidding about you Noble Phantasm."

"It's impressive," Glynda comment, "In this environment, one could say your unstoppable."

"Indeed," Vlad responded with a smirk as he lowered his arm, but he glared at the horde of Grimm, seeing another wave approaching, "But with this many, it's becoming taxing." He then turned to Karna, "You're turn."

"Understood," Karna responded as he spawned massive golden lance. He then began to rise as his body glowed in a fiery red aura. Suddenly, his aura erupted with the flames as his armor was blasted off, "With this single strike, I shall inflict extinction." Karna said as he pulled his lance back, "Vasavi Shakti!" the Hero of Charity declared before unleashing a beam of fire.

Pyrrha watched as the noble phantasm she saw before was launched, but this time was different. The flames glowed hotter and the blast engulfed the countryside in an inferno. The Grimm horde was reduced to ashes, along with a portion of the land, "And he wasn't kidding either about that power." She said to herself before a slight smile came on her face as she looked up at Karna, "That's what makes him so cool."

Arjuna noticed Pyrrha's smile towards her brother, causing him then to look back at Vlad, "I will destroy the next wave."

"I agree, rotating between our noble phantasms is the best course of action." Vlad said before looking up at Karna, "Come back now and rest." He ordered, but the Hero of Charity was focused on the fire, "Karna?"

"Karna…" Pyrrha said in confusion as Karna looked at the flames in confusion, seeing a black dot in the void of fires, one that quickly grew large. Suddenly, a massive black spike pierced the center of Karna's chest through his back. Pyrrha's eyes widened in dread, "KARNA!" She screamed as his body began to descend. Pyrrha spawned her lance and jumped into the air, catching him in her arms.

"Pyrrha… Karna said before he coughed blood, "You have to…get out of here."

"Wha-" The red-haired warrior said before a monstrous echoed from the fires. She looked towards the black dot as the origin of the scream. Suddenly, a shockwave blasted through the land, wiping out the fire. Pyrrha was flung back in the pulse before descending with Karna in her arms, placing him on the ground.

"What was that?" Glynda asked as a cloud of smoke covered the land, "No, Grimm makes that noise." She then looked down to see Karna cough up more blood, "Is he-"

"He's not dead yet," Arjuna interrupted, "But after using his Noble Phantasm, his defenses are harshly lowered." He then looked down at his brother's body, "And besides, this is not enough to kill him. Believe me, we have been impaled with worse." Arjuna said before looking at Vlad.

"Fair point, but he needs to be evacuated," Vlad said before looking to Pyrrha, "Get him out of here." She said with the red-haired warrior nodding, she then moved to place Karna on one the horse they arrived on. However, a flurry of spikes impaled the horse, killing them near instantly, the group then turned to Vlad, each glaring at the Lord Impaler, "That wasn't me!"

"Well, that is somewhat false." A voice came out of the smoke. Emerging was Carmilla, with a smirk on her face, "You didn't do it, but my research project did."

"Yellow eyes and pale skin, just like him," Pyrrha said as the image of Jaune Alter came to her mind, "You're an alter!"

"Correct, you must have been part of the group that killed that renegade," Carmilla responded as she crossed her arm, "I am an Alter, but of who I will not say."

Vlad said as he pointed his lance at her, "Just before, what did you say about a research project?"

"It's not an Alter of you. No, you were not dumb enough to fall into that trap," Carmilla responded, "But you are dumb enough to leave a lot of your blood on this land. You and that fool known as the King of Conquerors."

"Iskandar?" Glynda responded.

"That one, he left his mark in the way of acquiring more territory for this kingdom. Returning when he was battered to near death." Carmilla said as her expression grew more sinister, "His blood, so rich and full of energy, I could smell it for miles." She then turned back to Vlad, "Our leader predicted the two of you would be the primary defenders of the kingdom. So, she instructed me to create your ultimate counters. For him, I made Darrius of his blood and some Grimm essences. And for you…" She said before the rest of the smoke cleared. Standing next to Carmilla was a monstrosity. Vlad gawked in shock as the monster had his face, but the eyes were as red as a Grimm's and the skin was a sickly gray. His body was lank and arms as long as the Lord Impaler's body. His fangs were sharp and flared as a look of hatred filled his gaze, "I call this one, Dracula."

"WWRRYY!" Dracula hissed that echoed through the land.

"That thing is nothing like me!" Vlad responded in anger to Camilla, "How dare you use my blood to create such a-" Suddenly, a purple glyph appeared under his feet, followed by a bolt of lightning, "AAAAAAHHHH!" he screamed as he was continuously shocked. Glynda and the others looked in dread as Vlad could not move.

"Your say doesn't matter. Thanks to your blood, I was also able to develop this prison specially designed for your containment." Carmilla responded as before she looked at Dracula, "It is a shame, you spent so long trying to save this kingdom." She then turned back to Vlad, "But now, it will be you that will be its downfall." She then had a sinister smile return to her face, "Dracula, destroy Apocrypha."

"WWWRRRYYY!" Dracula screamed before his back began to pulsate. Suddenly, two black wings burst out from his back before he ascended. In response Pyrrha and Arjuna took to the sky, cutting off the monstrous creature. The Endowed Hero raised his bow and fired at Dracula, the arrows piercing his flesh.

However, they soon expelled off as the monster body rapidly healed, "That's even faster than Jaune Alter could heal." Pyrrha said before she aimed her Gae Akuno at Dracula, firing a black beam of energy at it. The attack collided with his chest, causing an explosion on contact, but Dracula burst out and attempted to slash the two the both of his clawed arms. Arjuna blocked with his bow, while Pyrrha did so with her lance, but the force of the impact sent the two back towards the ground. Pyrrha breath was heavy as she looked up at the monster, not seeing a scratch on it, "Do divine weapons even work on this thing?"

"Hahahaha!" Carmilla cackled as she watched, "Nothing can stop Dracula, he is an invincible being of destruction. The one who will bring ruin to this land." She said before she looked up at the monster screech towards the moon, "I have created a monster to surpass all Grimm." Suddenly, a beam of light speared into Dracula's back, causing him to scream in agony as his flesh burned, "…What?"

"Światło Słoneczne." Glynda said as she fired another beam from her riding crop into Dracula's back, this one creating a large hole than the last. Carmilla turned to her with her teeth grit, but Glynda looked back with a smirk, "Would you look at that. It appears light magic is very effective against him." She said before adjusting her glasses, "Particularly ones based in sunlight."

"…How." Carmilla said as she clenched her fists, "How did you figure it out so quickly!?"

"This invasion has been going on for hours, yet this is the time you bring out such a powerful piece. The timing seemed off from a tactical standpoint unless you had to wait for something." Glynda said as she looked up at the night sky, "That thing's skin looked like it has never touched a ray of sunlight in its existence. And nothing is truly invincible, unless in the right environment." She then aimed her riding crop again, a ball of light forming, "I would say it is rather lucky I expanded my knowledge of light magic in my time here." She said before she focused on the staggering Dracula trying to heal, "Migotać." She said before launching a ball of light into the sky. In a few seconds, the ball rapidly expanded in a massive orb of brilliance.

"WWRRYYYY!" Dracula screamed in pain as his body started to crack from the rays of light.

Suddenly, Carmilla spawned her steel staff, firing a blast of energy into the orb. The collision caused the two objects to explode as Dracula slowly started to heal, Carmilla turned back to Glynda, "Just who are you?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, a professor from Beacon Academy in Vale." She responded as she readied her riding crop, "But my nickname is the Genius of the Battlefield."

"What is a professor of one of the weaker kingdoms doing here?" Carmilla responded.

"Huh," Pyrrha overheard in the distance before she realized something, "Did Jaune Alter never tell these guys about the transfer program?" She said before looking up to see Dracula's wounds slowly healing, then turning back to Arjuna, "We need to stop that think will it is weak." She said with him nodding, the two the returning to the sky.

"No matter, all I need to do is kill you." Carmilla said as she pointed her staff at Glynda, "You should be easy prey for me."

"It's not wise to underestimate an opponent," Glynda said as she raised her riding crop, holding it in her right hand like a sword, "Szabla." She chanted before the riding crop glowed in white light, increasing its length to that of a broadsword, "Now then, shall we?" She said with a smirk before Carmilla gritted her teeth. The two then lunged at each other, Glynda's riding crop sparking against Carmilla's staff.

Back in the sky, Pyrrha regained Dracula's attention as Arjuna placed his left hand near his face, his body glowing with a deep blue aura, "Expanding sacred domain. Spatial fixation, divine punishment enforcement limits… all approved." As he lowered his left hand, the aura around him condensed it a ball at the center of his palm. "By the wrath of Shiva, here ends thy life." Pyrrha then flew away from Dracula as the monster turned to Arjuna, "Pashupata!" The Endowed hero declared before lighting tapping the bottom of the ball, causing it to teleport just over Dracula's head. Suddenly, the energy in the ball exploded, the shockwave coving Dracula's body as he screamed in agony, his body being ripped apart in the shockwaves.

"WWWWRRRRYYYY!" Dracula screeched before his eyes glowed redder, his body transformed into a purple mist. He phased through the blue energy waved before reappearing in front of Arjuna. As his body reformed, Dracula raised his right arm and swung it down towards Arjuna. The Endowed Hero tried to block with his bow, but the force of the impact still slammed him back to the ground, creating a massive crater.

"Arjuna!" Pyrrha called in a panic, causing Dracula to turn his attention to her. She readied her lance as the monster charged at her, his fangs flared and eyes red.

Back on the ground, Carmilla and Glynda continued to exchange slashes. However, Glynda parried the staff before slasher her foe horizontally across the stomach. Carmilla recoiled in pain for a second before swiping with her staff. However, Glynda backflipped to dodge, a small chuckle in her voice, "Are you…enjoying this!?" Carmilla said as she clenched her staff.

"Not at all," Glynda said, despite a smile on her face, "My students are in danger, so I must defeat you as soon as possible to aid them." She said as she raised her light sword, "You're an egomaniac, a bread I have dealt with in spades in my career. The most effective way deal with people like you," She said before rushing forward, clashing her light sword against her staff, "Is to not give you what you want." She said before parrying the staff, this time slashing vertically across Carmilla's chest, "You want me to take this seriously, you want me to lose my temper so you can gain the upper hand," Glynda said before stabbing Carmilla in the heart, the alter coughing blood in response, "You want to torture me, but I will not give you that satisfaction." She said before violently pulling out the light sword and spin kicking Carmilla a few feet away.

Carmilla coughed as Glynda walked over, "You take that title of Genius quite seriously, do you?" She said while Glynda did not respond, "Well, what will you do about this!" Carmilla said as she raised her left hand. Glynda then heard Vlad scream as the glyph around his feel glowed more violent, the electricity burning his flesh, "Now, Genius of the Battlefield, make the smart call." Carmilla said as Glynda glared at her, "Drop your weapon or he dies."

"Don't do it!" Vlad said through the pain, "I will not be the reason for the downfall of this kingdom!" He said before the voltage increased, his body being to chare form the heat, "Glynda, kill Carmilla! Kill Dracula!" The voltage increased even more, "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Glynda turned back to see Vlad screaming in agony, the last of his life about to fade. He then looked down at her riding crop infused with her light magic, clenching it in her hand, "I devoted my life as a huntress so that if a choice like this ever came up, I would make the right call for humanity." She then looked to Carmilla with a scowl, loosening her grip on her riding crop and letting it fall to the ground, the light fading as it returned to normal.

Carmilla smirked as she lowered her left hand, the voltage lowering as Vlad had a look of horror and remorse in his eyes, "Why?" he said as he barely remained conscious.

Glynda turned to him, "How can I save the world from Grimm," She said before a smile formed on her face, "When I cannot save one whom I care deeply for." She said with Vlad's eyes widening in shock. Suddenly, the Iron maiden form behind Glynda, but her smiled rained as the doors shut, locking her in the prison with a loud clank.

Back in the sky, Pyrrha continued to block Dracula's swipes and slashed. "WRRYY!" the monster screamed before it unhinged its jaw. Pyrrha gasped as she saw the mouth and fangs, try to encompass her head. She kicked away from Dracula but failed to see his right arm swing downward at her. She blocked with her Gae Akuno, but the force still slammed her towards the ground. This time, however, Dracula dove after her, his mouth still agape as Pyrrha could not black this one.

Suddenly, a beam of fire struck Dracula in the center of the chest. Pyrrha gained the time to recover, looking down to see Karna, holding his lance with smoke still radiating from the tip. His breathing was heavy and left eye was shut. Pyrrha took a sigh of relief, but then looked to see the smoke clear. Dracula's eyes became even redder as his chest was still simmering, out from his wings formed a barrage of spikes toward the Hero of Charity. Pyrrha's eyes widened in horror as Karna had no way to block. The rain of stakes collided with the area over Karna, a large smoke cloud covering the area. Tears started to form in Pyrrha's eyes as the smoke clear, but then the widened in shock.

Standing over Karna's body was Arjuna, his back impaled with the spikes that would have hit his brother, "…You are not allowed to fall." Arjuna said as Karna's eyes widened in confusion, "Unless it is by my hands…" The Endowed Hero said before falling over, landing in Karna's arms. The look of confusion remained on the Hero of Charity's face, as well as tears starting to form in his eyes.

Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she turned back to Dracula, the monster glaring back, "WWWRRRYYY!" Dracula said as he rushed her. Pyrrha aimed her lance and fired the black beams of polarity. However, they phased through the monster as he turned into a purple mist. Pyrrha had a look of confusion as the mist dispersed around her. Suddenly, she felt Dracula's right arm grab her midsection from behind. the red-haired warrior gasped as she looked up, seeing that the monster was behind her, attempting to devour her head again.

In the last second, Pyrrha plunged her Gae Akuno in Dracula's right eye, bursting it open as he failed in pain. He tossed the red-haired warrior aside, violently pulling out the lance in the process. However, the force of the throw caused Pyrrha's grip to falter, her Gae Akuno leaving her hand. At that moment, her magnetic field to keep her floating was lost as well, causing her to freefall. She reached for her, trying to maintain focus to retrieve it. However, she looked over to see Dracula's regain sight of her with his left eye. He dove towards her, the monster mouth opened once again. Pyrrha's heart began to race as her focus on her Gae Akuno faltered. Even if she hands retired it, it would be too late, "I'm going to die." She thought as Dracula closed in, "I can't beat this thing." She said before closing her eyes, "I can't…" She then gritted her teeth before opening her eyes again, glaring at Dracula, "I CANT'T DIE!" Pyrrha declared as her body glowed in a black. Suddenly, the golden divine bangle on her right wrist began to straighten, returning to a mini lance. At the last second, she tossed the lance into Dracula's left eye.

"WWWWRRRRYYYY!" The blinded monster screamed as he missed Pyrrha. As the red-haired warrior fell, she relocated her Gae Akuno and reached for it. Her aura began to reform around her weapon, recoiling it back to her arms a few feet over the ground.

Pyrrha's breathing was heavy as she glared up at the monster, "I'm not going to die here, none of us are." She said as she held her lance in her right arm, the weapon radiating her black aura, "Except you!" Pyrrha declared before launching her Gae Akuno like a javelin. Dracula was unable to dodge as the highspeed projectile pierced the center of his chest. The red bladed end out the back while the blue bladed end from the front. Pyrrha then clasped her hands as she focused, "Gae Milo: Prison!" She declared before the ends of her lance pulsated with her polarity. A black sphere began to surround Dracula as he screamed in agony. His body began to pulsate as he tried to transform into mist, but the polarity was affecting even those molecules. The monster was trapped in the sphere as Pyrrha's forehead began to sweat, her eyes twitch.

In the distance, Carmilla smirked as she looked at Pyrrha, "She thinks she can hold Dracula off until sunrise. Ha, she'll pass out long before then." Carmilla said as she aimed her staff at Pyrrha's back, "I'll just kill you now, saving you from doing it yourself."

"I don't think so," Carmilla heard a voice speak to her from behind, her ear recognizing it, but her mind refused to believe it. She turned to discover Glynda standing, a smirk on her face as he held out her left hand, "Trumna." She said as a Carmilla's body as encompass in white light, dropping her staff as she was trapped in a coffin-like barrier around her body.

 _Glynda_

"H-how!?" Carmilla said, only able to move her mouth and eyes. She glanced over to see her iron maiden still standing, unmoved from its location, "There is no way you could have escaped."

Glynda smirked as she started to take off her glasses, "You know, I think I figured out whose alter you are," She said as she held her glasses in her left hand, "It's Elizabeth Bathory." Glynda said as Carmilla's eyes widened in shock, "When I fight, I make it a point to never use the same move twice. Even against a different opponent, it prevents them from truly getting a read on me." She said as she remembered the moment just before she was about to be imprisoned in the iron maiden, uttering the word imitacja, "You fell for the same trick she did, the exact same way." She said as Carmilla gritted her teeth in rage, but her eyes widened again as Glynda raised her right hand, "But the difference between you and her? I can see a bright future for Elizabeth." Glynda said as her body glowed in white light, her expression then changing to stern as she focused, "This is the only light I see for you, Gwiazda Białego Karła!" The Genius of the Battlefield declared before a highly consecrated ball of light formed in her hand. The ball grew to the diameter of Carmilla before firing, taking off at high speed as it slammed into her. Carmilla screamed in agony as her body was carried in the sphere of light, her flesh evaporating from the heat.

In the middle of the sky, the ball of light crashed into Dracula's prison, the light dealing a similar level of damage. Suddenly both Pyrrha and Glynda concentrated at the same time, their noble phantasm's merging into a monochrome explosion that filled the night sky. The bodies of Carmilla and Dracula faded to dust as silence returned to the land. Glynda lowered her right hand, her vision blurry as her stance was wobbly. She then looked over to see the Glyph under Vlad break, freeing him from his prison. Pyrrha lowered her arms as she fell to her knees. Her whole body was shaking as exhaled her deep breath. She then looked over to see Karna and Arjuna walking over, the brothers helping the other walk. The Hero of Charity smile as he looked at Pyrrha, causing her to smile back.

 **AN: There you go, this was definably not an esay win, but it was well earned. Pyrrha did it, she bent the golden divine lance without the use of a divine weapon, (This will be explained in a future chapter as to how). It was something I have planned for a while and like how it finally payed off. I got to make Glynda feel super awesome here with her confidence in her abilities. They are polish translation words for her skills, so I do apologies if somethings are not interpreted well enough. If your wondering what her noble phantasm was at the end, I translated from White Dwarf Star, which is the what she launches, (minus the blue hue). Both characters were great to show their progression to this point with the friends they made along the way. I only have five more chapters left of this story. Next, it's Ruby's turn in this war. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	82. Chapter 79 - Faded

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Been busy with work and finals for college, so I apologize if this delay. This one is a big chapter for a certain rose girl. I don't want to spoil anything, but note that this is a very emotional chapter at the end. Thank you for all the support and please check out the Tv Tropes page for this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 79 – Faded**

 _Ruby_

As a massive horde marched through the pains, tearing the ground asunder, a Grimm Goliath stampeded at in the center. Perched on a throne atop the massive monster's head sat Darius, his arms cross and a sneer on his face, "Feeeeeeehhhih." Darius spoke, causing the monsters on the ground to roar up at him as they marched. Darius laughed as they continued to march towards Chaldea. However, he saw a white flash in the distance. The flash rapidly covers the area, expanding over his entire Grimm army. Suddenly, Darius found himself and the Grimm no longer in Apocrypha, but a vast desert, "Foooohhhh?" he said in confusion before he looked towards the origin of the flash, seeing a red shroud standing before a dust cloud, "Iskandaaarrr..." Darius spoke through his teeth.

On the other side of the desert, Iskandar stood with his arms crossed and a smile on his face, "That should be all of them." He said as he turned to Zhuge Liang, "This way, we do not have to worry about stragglers getting away." he then glances back to see his endless army behind him, "What a glorious battle this will be."

Next to the two were Ruby and Astolfo, both of whom sat on Hippogriff's back. The silver eyed girl held her Crescent Rose in its sniper form, looking down the spoke at the Grimm Goliath, "There's someone top of that thing." She said in slight confusion, "But, I don't know what exactly he is."

"I know what he is," the Iskandar spoke with confidence, "He is their King, A King of Grimm." He then had a look of excitement in his eyes, "A worthy rival to the King of Conquerors."

"They do seem to follow that monsters," The Headmaster of Chaldea, "Kill their leader, and that will strike fear in the other Grimm's eyes." he then turned to Iskandar, "Are you sure we can kill and King of Grimm?"

"Waver, I have already told you this, but I will tell you again." Iskandar said with a smile, "I do not ask if I can, I prove that can." The King of Conquerors said before turning to his army, "Hear me, my comrades! Your spirits are far superior to that of Grimm, that is in incomparable. This battle will be Apocrypha's deciding fate. We will not fall here; we will annihilate them!" he said with his soldier's cheer. Iskandar then turned to Ruby and Astolfo, "I will trust you two for aerial support." He said with the two nodding, then tuning to Zhuge Liang, "Are you ready?"

"One thing first," The Headmaster of Chaldea before spawning a feathered fan with a red handle in his right hand.

"That's your weapon?" Ruby commented, "What does it do?" Zhuge Liang did not respond, he just waved his fan horizontally once. Suddenly, a yellow light passed over the bodies of all members of Iskandar's army.

Ruby and Astolfo also felt the yellow light cover their bodies, a surge of strength flowing through them, "Wow." The svelt paladin said as she looked at his hands.

"That should give you a boost to your fighting potential," Zhuge Liang said to the students, "But remember, you are not immortal. This not training or Grand Order."

"We know," Ruby responded with a smile and a look of focus-forming, "That's why we're here." She said with Zhuge Liang starting to smile back.

Iskandar spawned his Gordius Wheel, "Now then," The King of Conquerors said before he and The Headmaster of Chaldea got on the chariot, "ATTACK!" Iskandar declared with the battle cry of his army behind him. As the soldier charged into battle, the Gordius Wheel and Hippogriff took off into the sky.

On top of the Goliath, Darius watched as the armies of Grimms and soldiers clashed. As a Beowolf pounced on a man, its teeth coiled around the head, a spear pierced the beast's lower jaw. An Ursa one slash launched two soldiers across the head, but it soon felt three spears in his chest. A Deathstalker held a man in each pincer, stinging one the was trying to charge the front. In the confusion, another soldier flanked the gigantic scorpion, jumping the back of its tail. He climbed the monster and slashed off its stinger. In this war of man verse monster, the Grimm were outnumbered and outclassed, "Fuhnnn muooooohhhhhn!" Darius yelled in rage, causing a murder of Nevermore Grimm to ascend from the back of his army. The creatures soon divebomb Iskandar's army, launching multiple warriors across the desert. Darius smiled with his teeth until he heard gunfire.

Ruby fired and reloaded her Crescent Rose, shooting down the small Nevermore as Astolfo contorted the Hippogriff. He pulled up as a massive Nevermore tried to pierce them with its beak. At that moment, Ruby jumped off the Hippogriff and landed on the Nevermore's back. She then transformed her weapon back into its scythe form before driving the blade into the back of the winged Grimm's neck. At full speed, she ran down the tail end of the monster, its body ripped to spreads as its feathers fell. The silver eyed girl then jumped off the tail end of the Nevermore, free falling for a second until Astolfo grabbed her hand, the red of the Nevermore's body falling to the sand.

"Amazing," Astolfo complimented as he pulled Ruby back to her seat behind him on the Hippogriff.

"Thanks," Ruby said before noting another murder of Nevermore heading towards them. Added to their ranks were multiple Grimm Griffons, causing Hippogriff the glare at his former form, "Still, this is going to be a long battle."

"Well, let me shorten it." Astolfo said as Ruby saw him spawn a book, "You're not the only one who has been practicing." The svelte paladin said with a wink and smile, "This is my type of reading." He said before opening the book. The pages started to fly out as they glowed with a golden light. The Grimm divebombed towards them as the pages formed a frontal shield. To Ruby's surprised, the Grimm Griffons bounced off the barrier without making a dent, "Casseur de Logistille, a barrier to block all the world's evil."

"That's so cool!" Ruby cheered, "When did you learn this?"

"Well, I technically had this Noble Phantasm for a long time," Astolfo said as he scratched the back of his head, "But I forgot its true name, so I couldn't use it as well as I can now." He said with Ruby have a slight chuckle, "Now, let's do this!" Astolfo said as he tightened the reins, causing Hippogriff to screech in a battle cry. They then changed forward, the Casseur de Logistille acting as a battering ram as they plowed through the horde of flying Grimm. The Griffon's and Nevermore that were left in a stunned state, Ruby shot them in the chest with her Crescent Rose. Suddenly, Astolfo spawned his Trap of Argalia as the group glowed in a golden aura. he then despawned his barrier as that they could pierce through the horde of Grimm.

On the Grimm Goliath, Darius glared up as the black essence of Grimm rained down over the desert. He then turned to the sound of something approaching him, seeing Iskandar and Zhuge Liang on the Gordius Wheel. The King of Conquerors smiled as he aimed the bulls at the King of Grimm. However, Darrius blocked the charge grabbing the bulls by the horns, one in each arm with the rest of his body unmoved by the impact. The King of Grimm had a grin with his yellow teeth showing, tossing the Gordius Wheel away, back towards the desert.

At that moment, Iskandar and Zhuge Liang jumped from the chariot and landed on the back of the Grimm Goliath, "An impressive display of strength." Iskandar said as Darius turned to them, spawning his axes in each arm. The King of Conquerors then drew his short sword, "Blade to blade them."

"Goooooooh!" Darius howled as the axes radiated a blazing green flame that stretched for dozens of feet. He swung his right ax downward with the flames over the two. However, Iskandar dodged left as Zhuge Liang dodged right.

As he recovered, the Headmaster of Chaldea spawned three orbs of light around his head. Zhuge Liang then pointed as Darius with his fan, causing the orbs to turn into beams of light colliding with the King of Grimm's chest.

However, the assault proved ineffective. Darius focused Zhuge Liang, charging at the Headmaster of Chaldea. As Zhuge Liang glared back, his fan glowing in fiery light, "You have fallen into my trap," He said before pointing the fan at Darius. Suddenly, eight black cylindrical pillars with red lines fell from the clouds. They landed around the King of Grimm before an octagon plate fell on top, locking him in a type of prison. Darius looked up to see a black and white symbol at the center of the plate, "Unreturning Formation!" Zhuge Liang declared before the symbol began to pulsate with yellow waves of energy.

"Feeeeeeehhhih!" Darius roared in pain as his body started to throb in agony, "Diiissssaaaa!" He said before swinging his ax into the pillars. The first few attempts yielded no results. However, the next swing dented. Zhuge Liang eyes widened as Darius' next swing broke one of the pillars for him to run out off.

"Impossible!" The Headmaster of Chaldea said as Darius rushed him with a horizontal slash. Zhuge Liang dodged by jumping back, landing near where Iskandar was, "My Noble Phantasm is meant to fully disintegrate Grimm in an inescapable prison."

"This is no ordinary Grimm we are up against." Iskandar responded with a smirk, "Besides, are you sure you have not gone soft with your time behind that desk, Waver." Darius then roared as he locked eyes with the King of Conquerors, "Let me have a go at him." Iskandar said before rushing forward at the King of Grimm, his short sword in hand. The blade collided with the right ax; Darius was slightly pushed back from the impact. He swung his left ax at the King of Conquerors, but Iskandar ducked, the blade just grazing the top of the hairs of his head. Iskandar then reeled back his sword to attempt an abdominal stab, but Darius pulled his head back. Faster than Iskandar could execute his attack, Darius slammed his forehead into the forehead of the King of Conquerors. Iskandar fell into a stunned state until he heard something cutting the air. His eyes widened as he said both ax heads coming from his right. he held the short sword in a defective stance, but the ax blades collided at the same time, launching him backward. Iskandar stabbed his sword into the back of the Grimm Goliath to slow himself down, stopping back next to Zhuge Liang, "Well, he is stronger than I thought." Iskandar said with a smile, but the Headmaster of Chaldea glared back.

"Forwaaaarrr!" Darius declared as he roared. Suddenly, he saw a golden light to his left. The brilliance was coming from the Trap of Argalia. Astolfo and Ruby on Hippogriff dived towards the King of Grimm as he glared back at the two students. He then aimed the flames of his left ax at the two, a green flame erupting out, engulfing the three. However, the image of the two students on the moment faded into a white light, an illusion of where they once stood. Darius had a look of confusion until he felt two sharp pains in his back. He glanced back to see the scythe of Crescent Rose in his right kidney, while the Trap of Argalia pierced his left kidney. The to students smirked as Darius' anger grew, "UwoooooOOOOHHH!" He screamed as performed a wild backswing.

Astolfo and Ruby jumped back to dodge, "This thing is durable." The silver eyed girl said before the two landed back on the Grimm Goliath.

"Yeah, it's going to take all of us to beat him." The servlet paladin commented back, "But we can do it." The two then reposed their weapons as Darius attempted to charge.

Suddenly, the King of Grimm heard the clomping of horse approach. But before he could turn around, Bucephalus had leaped on his head, digging the horseshoes into the back of his skull. Ruby and Astolfo watched as Iskandar road his horse, with Zhuge Liang sitting behind him, "I agree." The King of Conquerors spoke to his students, "Let's finish this foe together!"

Ruby and Astolfo nodded. The svelte paladin then summoned his Hippogriff back. The two students immediately got on as they charged Darius, passing by the professors. While the King of Grimm was still in a stunned state, Astolfo slashed his front right shoulder in a ramming motion. Now behind their foe, Ruby changed her Crescent Rose to its sniper form and shot Darius in the center of his spine. While the damage was very little, the distraction it proved enough for Zhuge Liang to fire more orbs of light into Darius' chest. The King of Grimm started to falter in his stance from the barrage of attacks. Iskandar and Astolfo repositioned their mounts for another assault.

However, while they were in the middle of charging, Darius' eyes glowed red with rage, "Fuhnnn Muoooohhhn!" The King of Grimm roared to the sky, causing the Grimm Goliath the shriek out of its trunk. The Massive front half of the Grimm's lifted from the sand. The solider on the ground watched in shocked and the creature blocked their light. Suddenly, the Grimm Goliath stomped its two front legs in the desert. The shaking ground beneath the armies as the forces created a blast wave of sand, sweeping over soldiers and Grimm alike. On top of the Grimm Goliath, Iskandar and Astolfo both struggled to steady their mounts. In the process, they realized Darius' grin. He held started to spin in a lariat motion, an ax in each arm pointed horizontally in the opposite direction. The two Rider's had a look of panic as they tried to stop their mount but were unable. Each saw as the blade of the ax was aimed at their respective necks.

At the last second, Bucephalus lifted his front half up. While it moved Iskandar out of the way, the horse then took the brunt of the ax blade. While Zhuge Liang still landed on the back of the Grimm, but the strike launched Iskandar over the edge. With his sword quickly drawn, he stabbed into the flesh of the Grimm to prevent himself from falling into the desert. However, Iskandar saw the body of Bucephalus fall towards the sand. The horse's body motionless and blood seeped out the wound. Iskandar's eyes filled with dread and shock as his animal companion was now lost, saving him one last time.

At this same moment and knowing he did not have any time for another way to dodge, Hippogriff lifted his body in place of the hit. The ax carved into its flesh with the force to launch the two rider students off. Astolfo and his mount landed near each other, with the svelte paladin quickly going to the creature's aid, "You saved me." He said in a panic as he looked at the severity of the wound, "This is bad, you need to withdraw-" Astolfo was saying until he realized something, "Where's Ruby?" he then looked over to see where the silver eyed girl landed, which was right next to Darius. Ruby was still in a stunned state after being thrown off that she did not see Darius raise his left ax. Astolfo had a look of dread before his eyes filled with focus, "Get away from her!" Astolfo declared as he changed at Darius, the Trap of Argalia in his arms aimed at the King of Grimm.

As Zhuge Liang started to recover, he looked to see the Astolfo's assault. However, he glanced at Darius, who tightened his grip on the right ax. The Headmaster of Chaldea's eye turned to panic as he looked over to the servlet paladin, "He knows your coming!" But it was on faint ears. Astolfo tried to pierce the heart of the Kill of Grimm from behind, but Darius turned around and thrust his right ax into the center of the svelte paladin's chest. With the ax near the size of his body, the tip of the blade expelling out the spine, Astolfo instantly realized his fate. Zhuge Liang eyes filled with dread as he fell to his knees, "No…" he said solemnly as he dropped the fan.

Ruby now recovered from the throw and looked up, but her silver eyes quivered in dread at the slight. The boy she met the first day at Chaldea, her roommate, her helper in the rider class, her friend, the one who told her that he would be the opposite of bad things in this world, was dead. The image of the Astolfo's wide smile with his eyes closed was shattered, now replaced with his lifeless eyes, blood dripping out the corners of his mouth, "Astolfo…" Ruby said in a weak voice, but he did not respond. She then looked over to see Hippogriff scree in agony before its body went limp, its eyes devoid of light. Seconds after, Hippogriff's body started to fade into particles of light. Ruby's eyes started to fill with tears as she looked back to Astofo's corpse seeing him drop the Trap of Argalia into the pool of his blood below, then it slowly faded away. Darius then moved the right ax closer to his face, glaring into the servlet paladin's dead eye. The King of Grimm then had a wide smile before thrusting his ax to the side, launching Astolfo's corpse to the desert, "ASTOLFO!" Ruby shouted as she reached out for the svelte paladin's body but could not reach in time. She watched as he fell into the horde of arms below, lost in the carnage.

Ruby tried to shut her eyes, but the tears still poured down her face. Darius heard her wimps and raised both axes over his head. Iskandar just pulled himself over the edge as he saw the sight, "Ruby!" Iskandar called with Ruby opening her eyes, a look of determination on her face as they glowed in silver light.

The light encompassed the area, transporting Ruby and Darius to her reality marble. The King of Grimm was confused at the blank white void, but then looked down to see Ruby standing, her weapon transformed into its scythe mode. She glared back into his red eyes with her silver ones. Darius gritted his teeth in rage as he raised his right-handed ax again, swinging it down. However, nothing had touched Ruby. Darius' mouth hung open in a gap as he realized it, his right arm severed at his elbow. He then saw the rest of his right arm and ax fall into the bottomless void below, vanishing in the abyss. As he took a step back, he noticed someone standing next to Ruby. One who resembled her but wore completely white, the scythe dripping with his black blood. Their silver eyes fixed on Darius' position, causing a pulse of fear to run through the King of Grimm's body.

In an instant, Ruby and Summer rushed Darius. The King of Grimm tried to retaliate with his other ax towards Ruby, but the silver eyed girl dodged with a burst of speed. with her Crescent Rose, she slashed off Darius' left leg at the knee, the limb fell into the white void. Summer then leaped for Darius' right shoulder, cutting off the rest of the arm. The King of Grimm gritted his teeth as he tired a backswing with his left toward Ruby. Summer then went to her daughter's side as they blocked the blade with their scythes. Together, they reposed the ax, putting Darius in a stunned state. Summer slashed off his left arm at the elbow as Ruby carved off the shoulder. The limbs fell into the white void as the King of Grimm was without a weapon. In an almost mirror stance to one another, the two Rose huntresses slashed diagonally across Darius' chest, a razor wind echoing from the cut. With an X-shaped wound, the King of Grimm's remaining body fell into four chunks. All but the upper half containing his head was what remained on the floor, the rest fell into the void. Darius' eyes went vacant with a look of horror on his face.

Summer remained unexpressive on her face, but she turned her right to see Ruby sheathing in fury. The silver-eyed girl gritted her teeth as she changed her Crescent Rose into her sniper form. She aimed at the center between Darius' three eyes ready to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, someone placed their hand on Ruby's right shoulder. She turned eyes away from her scope to look at who it was. The look of anger in her eyes suddenly changed to shock. Standing in all white attire was the servlet paladin, "Astolfo…" Ruby said with the apparition smiling with a nod, "It created you…just now." She said with the apparition of Astolfo nodding again. Ruby then glared back at the unresponsive Darius, "This…This is what killed you." She said then aimed her sniper back to where it was, "It has to…" She said as she looked down the scope.

However, Ruby said the scope fill with white. She then lowed her weapon to see the apparition of Summer standing in front of Crescent Rose's barrel, "Mom, why?" Ruby asked. Summer looked back at the body of Darius, seeing it slowly fade away into nothingness. She then looked back to Ruby, "No, it can't just fade away like a normal Grimm. It doesn't deserve that!" Ruby said as her hands started to shake, "I have to…I have to…" She said as tears started to pour down her face, "…If I don't, how am I supposed to get closure." Ruby said as she lowered the sniper rife. Summer then walked over, hugging her daughter, "I know you never wanted me to be a huntress, but what else could I do?" She said through her tears, "Losing you…it left me feeling so…empty." Ruby said as before she looked over to the apparition of Astolfo, "Please...Tell me...What am I supposed to do now?"

The apportion of Astolfo had a sincere smile on his face. He then placed his right hand over his heart. Walking next to him were Blanca and Wolf, both bowing to agree with the svelte paladin. Summer let go of daughter, then placed her hand on over heart. Ruby then looked at her monter's face. Summer spoke without noise, but spoke with a smile, _"You can always remember me, but you cannot forget yourself."_

Slowly, Ruby started to smile, knowing what this meant, "If I go too far, I'll just be making more negative emotions in the world." She then looked over to see Darius' body fully faded away, "Making more Grimm." Ruby the looked back to her mother, "Thank you... for reminding of when you said that before...Thank you." Summer then nodded before Ruby looked back to Astolfo, "I'll...I'll tell her what happened." She said with him nodding, a sweet smile on his face.

 _A few moments later._

Back in the plains of Apocrypha, Ruby teleported in from her reality marble. She looked over to see Zhuge Liang and Iskandar, who did not have his cape, "Ruby!" both said at the same time with the Headmaster of Chaldea continuing, "What happened?"

"We beat it." Ruby said a weak smile forming on her face, looking over to Iskandar, "And if you're here."

"My army finished off the rest of the Grimm, included the Goliath." Iskandar responded, but not with his usual charisma, more melancholy voice, "…You should know, we found the body." He said as Ruby noticed the Gordius Wheel, the red cape wrapped around who he was talking about, "I'm so sorry Ruby."

"Professor Iskandar, I'll tell her," Ruby said as she turned to him, "I'll tell Marie."

"You shouldn't have to do that," Zhuge Liang spoke up, "Let me do it."

"Please Headmaster," Ruby responded, "I owe them that much."

Iskandar and Zhuge Liang remained silent for a second with Ruby gaze remaining unwavering on them. Her silver eyes were red, not from rage, but from tears shed from the loss of a friend, "Okay, I understand." Zhuge Liang responded as Ruby nodded, walking over to the chariot. Once out of earshot, The Headmaster of Chaldea spoke to his teammate, "She has a strong will to keep moving forward." He said with a small smile forming, "Not like me at that age."

"You give yourself too little credit, Waver." Iskandar responded before waiting for a second to respond, "You know, I like to think that it was something that I taught her. Or that is it's something she inherited from her parents." Suddenly, a small smile formed on his face, "But no, not that type of determination. That is all credited to Ruby, that is who she is." He said as they saw the silver-eyed girl look down at the covered body, slowly bowing her head in silence.

 **AN: There you go, the other massive Grimm concentration has been defeated. However, at the casualty of Astolfo. In this phase of the story, there were a couple of times I switched with who would live or die in these battles. But Astolfo was one I had planned for a long time to be one of the fallen heroes. I don't want to use the Pyrrha analogy from the original series here but is does appear to have a lot of similarities. I will distinguish that Astolfo was not created to be killed off later, but the way they story progress lead this to be the appropriate outcome for his character arc leading into Ruby's character arc. This chapter really shows how the reality marble was formed and what it represents to Ruby. For this story, giving her this power has been the most fun I have had writing her character. The next chapter goes back to Chaldea, with one more alter in this war to go. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	83. Chapter 80 - End of an Empire

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. With finals and graduations over, I can use my free time to write again. This one is the battle with the big bad, but it is not the final chapter. There are three chapters left after this one and the second author's note will go of that structure. This chapter has a lot of things I was so happy to finally use and play around with. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 80 – End of an Empire**

 _Guinevere_

A half a mile away from the north entrance to Chaldea, multiple Grimm rampaged towards the academy. Between the two, Medea hovered in the air as her cloak stretched over her back, almost resembling wings. Around her formed multiple purple glyphs, each unleashing a beam of light towards the blackened creatures. On the ground, Kintoki and Martha were brawling with multiple Grimm Beowolves. The economics professor jumped as a delivered an electrified dive kick to the monster's face. While Martha spawned a staff with a white and blue cross on one end. She jumped back as she unleaded a blast of white energy the obliterated the creature's head. "They just don't end," Martha spoke as she reposed with her staff.

"I know," Kintoki said as he held up his arms in a fighting stance, his breathing slightly winded. Suddenly, he and Martha were encompassed in a bright light, their injuries slowly healing. The then looked up the Head of bylaws wielding a thin staff with a circular head, "Thanks Medea." He said with Martha also smiling.

"Pain Breaker, I haven't seen you use that one in a while," Martha added on.

"This is a battle of attrition now," Medea responded, "The Grimm are not coming in as frequently as before. We just need to hold them off until-" She was saying up she felt a pulse of energy. The wave sent a shiver down her spine as she looked over into the distance. Marching with a black aura surrounding his body was Arthur Alter, his sword held to his right left. Through this mask, a burning red glow of hatred was focused on the academy, "Is That-!?"

"Arthur." Kintoki said before glaring through his sunglass, "No, that is one of those Alter things Headmaster informed us about before he left with Iskandar," he then summoned a motorcycle with a spiked front wheel, "I got this one," Kintoki then got on the bike.

"Wait, you can't just-" Medea tried to warn, but Kintoki rode off.

"Take this, Golden Drive!" Kintoki declared as the exhausts pipes spewed fire, rocketing towards the Alter of the King of Knights. However, Arthur Alter held his sword to his side. The blade radiated a black aura, radiating more violently as he made an upward slash. The black blast was ripped through the land, heading right for Kintoki. The economics professor gritted his teeth at the size of the blast. At the last second, he tried to swerve out of the way. He avoided the brunt of the blast, but the dark energy destroyed the back of his bike, violently launching him off at high speed.

"Sakata!" Martha called as she saw him struggle to get up, "Medea, heal Sakata." She then glared at Arthur Alter, "I'll deal with that."

"Right," Medea said with a nod before looking over to Kintoki. However, in the corner of her eye, a black ball of energy rocketed towards her. Unable to dodge in time, Medea's body was engulfed in the blast, "AAAHHHH!" She screamed in pain as purple electricity fried her body.

Martha's eyes widened in shock as Medea fell from the sky onto the ground. Suddenly, she heard a new female voice speak up, "I don't think so," Martha then looked over to see Guinevere, her right arm radiating a black aura as she lowered it, "You will not ruin my plans."

"Guinevere!?" Martha said as she tightened her grip on the staff, "Sherlock was right then."

"Oh, he figured I was behind this," Guinevere said as she smirked, "It is a little too late for that."

Martha gritted her teeth before her staff glowed in white light, "The son of a Grimm Leviathan," She said as a purple mist appeared behind her. Suddenly, a red gleam was seen through the mist, revealing a six-legged beast. The head of a lion, but with a hardened shell on its back, "Now protecting people." Martha then backflipped over of the dragon creature, "Become a meteor!" She declared before hitting her mount like a golf ball, using her staff as the club, "Tarasque!"

Tarasque rapidly spun towards Guinevere, but she remained unmoving. Suddenly, Arthur Alter rushed to intercept the dragon creature. His blacked Excalibur grinded against the spinning scales. In the end, Arthur Alter launched Tarasque right back at for where it came. Martha gasped in horror as she had no way to dodge the hit. An explosion was made on contact as Guinevere smirked, seeing Martha and Tarasque unconscious in the rubble.

Guinevere looked towards Arthur Alter, "Just as planned." She said before they started walking towards Chaldea, "They do not have the numbers, nor the power, to stand up to you. My King." As they walked, a horde of Grimm followed. Upon getting closer to Chaldea, a few of the Golems attacked a pack of Beowolves. Their clay arms crushed the skulls of the beast with ease. However, Arthur Alter made a horizontal slash, causing a black wave of energy to cut through the golems like butter. As the chunks fell to the ground, Guinevere sneered. She then looked up to see the Hanging Gardens, seeing its defense systems trying to fend off waves of dozens of Grimm Griffins, "That one will fall in time." She said they were in sight of the academy entrance, "First, the Academy."

At the gate, three of the four members of team France were fending off the approaching Grimm. As an Ursa charged, Marie fired a white blast of energy from her rose ring. In the monster's stunned state, d'Eon rushed in and staged it in the stomach. Sanson the approached from the left hand raised his executioner sword, chopping off the creature's head. As he watched the Grimm faded, he then noticed Guinevere and Arthur Alter approaching. He then signaled to d'Eon, causing the feminine man to head to Marie's side, his sword poised at the ready to defend. The Idol queen watched as Sanson walked over to intercept the enemies, "You're the ones who are behind this invasion."

"Yes," Guinevere responded with a grin, "A simple answer to a dumb question." She said as she noticed sweat dripping from Sanson's forehead, but his grip tightens on the handle of his blade, "But not as dumb as thinking you can fight my King and win." She said as she glanced at Arthur Alter, raising his sword at the ready.

"I know I cannot fight that thing." Sanson responded, "If we were to battle, I would lose in an instant."

"How modest," Guinevere responded with a chuckle, "I had expected a bit more resistance from the students." She then glanced over to Arthur Alter, "But I will not complain while my goal is about to be achieved." She said as the blackened Excalibur radiated a hateful aura, holding his sword to his side, "Be thankful that you will die at the hands of the King of Knights."

"Excalibur…" Arthur Alter chanted as the aura began to radiate more violently.

"He may be a King of Knights," Sanson said with a small smirk forming, "But what is he compared to the King of Kings?"

Guinevere had a small look of confusion. Suddenly, she said a bright yellow light from the top of Chaldea's main tower. At the center of the light hovered Ozymandias a blue and gold staff in his right hand, "Almighty Gods, witness my work!" He said as the light around him grew brighter, the night now seeming to light the middle of the day, "And then fall prostrate... My infinite brilliance, the Sun descends now!" The King of Kings announced as Guinevere's eyes widened in fear as the grand began to shake. Sanson jumped back as the ground started to turn a light blue, "Ramesseum Tentyris!" Ozymandias declared as a pyramid made of blue light emerged from the ground. The tip piercing the gut of the Alter of the King of Knights. Guinevere avoided the attack but watched as Arthur Alter was carried off with the pyramid of light. She then looked higher in the sky, seeing an inverted pyramid heading down towards her King. The two pyramids collided with the Alter of the King of Knights at the center. The merger of the two monuments created a shockwave that rung out all throughout the land of Apocrypha.

As a sudden silence came over the land, Guinevere eyes trembled with horror, "Why?" She then looked to see Ozymandias jump from his location, landing next to Sanson, "Why are you here!?"

"I was ordered to stay at Chaldea at all times after we had learned of the existence of alters." Ozymandias responded, "It was a call made by the headmaster."

"He what!?" Guinevere shouted back, "How would he have known of more alters." Suddenly, she remembered Jaune Alter, "Did that idiot tip them off to us early?" She thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard the roar of the engine from overhead. As she looked up, she gasped at the sight of three massive airships entry in the airspace over Chaldea. Their cannons opened fire on the Grimm Griffins overthrowing The Hanging Gardens, blasting the creatures out of the sky, "The Atlas Military!?"

"Well, it took them long enough to arrive." The King of Kings commented, "That is our backup, where is yours?"

"You dare mock me! Why is their military here!" Guinevere shouted back, "No matter, the other alters will-"

"Not going to happen," Sanson spoke up as he held his scroll, "I got the confirmation just before you arrived. All of the hostages have been rescued and the alters were killed." He said as Guinevere began to hyperventilate, "You have lost."

"No no no no." Guinevere said as she started to back up. She then looked up tee mupluple small airships exiting the massive ones. Eaching leaving towards the locations of the Alters assigned spots. One was even heading back to where she had encountered the last three professors. "This was not part of the plan, you could not have had the forces to deal with the alters and still defend the Academy and town!"

"Normally yes," Sanson responded, "But we had a few students join our kingdom in last month. A transfer program with students from Vale and Haven." He then had a small smirk form, "It's thanks to them that we could protect this part of the kingdom."

"That's impossible!" Guinevere continued to shout, "No mere students from the weaker kingdoms could match up the Alters!"

"You shouldn't judge people based on what you think you know about them," Sanson said as he raised his executions blade, "If you meet some of these students, they would surprise you." He said with a smirk as Guinevere gritted her teeth. She then looked up to see a black ball of energy crash down beside her. As the energy faded, Arthur Alter was at its core. His armor damaged, the mask on his face half broken off, revealing his left eye. The iris was a golden yellow as its gaze was void of emotion, "That thing is still alive?" He said in shock as Guinevere began to regain some of her demeanor.

"Yes, but not at full strength." Ozymandias commented as he noticed the blacked Excalibur sparking, "He will not be able to use that noble phantasm for a short time. You and the rest of your team, move to back up another entrance's defenses." The King of Kings then aimed his staff at the Alter of the King of Knight, "This one is mine." He said with Sanson nodding, returning to Marie and d'Eon. The rest of Team France began to cut through the north entrance of Chaldea, seeing that as the quickest path to the south side. However, Maire noticed someone walking past them, another knight in darkened armor. One who was walking with his daughter.

"You may have surprised us, but my King will-" Guinevere said to Ozymandias before cutting herself off. The two then noticed Lancelot and Mash at the entrance to Chaldea.

"Mom?" A look of horror on the shielder's face, as her father trembled in shock, "W-what are you doing!?" Mash said in a mix of disbelief and dread, "Please, tell me you're not…"

"Guuu…" Lancelot tried to speak as he reached out his hand towards his wife, "Guuiiinev-"

However, Guinevere looked away, "The two of you," She said in a cold voice, "Are nothing to me." She said as both Mash and Lancelot's heart sunk, a look of horror filled their eyes are Guinevere pointed her left palm at them, a black ball of energy forming.

As Guinevere fired the blast, Ozymandias ran over to intercept it. He knocked the black ball of energy away with his staff, turning back to Lancelot, "Get your daughter out of here! I will fight this foe-" Suddenly, he felt a dark aura to his right, turning to see Arthur Alter had rushed him in the second of distraction. The King of Kings tried to defend with his staff, but the sword was already in mid-swing. The blackened Excalibur cut through the staff and into the left side of his chest. The cut did not bisect Ozymandias, but launched into the wall of Chaldea, holding his side to stop the bleeding.

"Ahrrrr…Ohrrrrr," Lancelot said as he looked over to Arthur Alter. Slowly, the black knight's armor radiated a hateful aura, his red visor glowing with madness, "Arrrthurrrrrr!" Lancelot screamed before he picked up the pole half of Ozymandias' broke staff. Suddenly, the blue and gold of the staff were replaced with black with red cracks forming around where the black knight held the weapon. He rushed Arthur Alter as he screamed in insanity, leaping into the air, "ARRRTHURRRRRR!" He screamed as he made a vertical swing with his black pole, the weapon colliding with the blackened Excalibur. Lancelot continued to scream as he glared in Arthur Alter's emotionless eyes.

"Why Mom!?" Mash shouted, tears starting to form in her eyes, "Why are you a part of this invasion!?"

"You could never understand." Guinevere said as she pointed her right arm at her daughter, "Nobody can ever understand what lose really is." She then unleashed a black ball of energy again, this time no one in the way to intercept it. A pillar of smoke formed over where Mash was standing as Guinevere lowered her hand.

However, Guinevere's gaze narrowed as she saw Mash had spawned her shield at the last second, blocking the attack, "…A year ago, Papa and I lost you. It destroyed both of us. He had to change to a berserker, just to make it easier on himself. Just so I…wouldn't lose him either. But I can't change classes, I had to hold onto that memory every day. The day you abandoned us." Mash responded as she looked at the ground, "Still, Papa loves you; I love you." Mash then looked up at mother, slight anger in her eyes now, "Do not tell me that we know nothing of loss."

"Mash, what I have been through is far worse!" Guinevere said as she raised her hand again, "I have had to live with this loss for over eighteen years!"

"Because you never let yourself move on!" Mash shouted back, causing her mother to go silent for a second, "You can't let something fester for that long, it is unhealthy." She then looked over to see her father continuing to fight Arthur Alter, "Papa tried to help you as best he could, he gave you a family, he gave you me."

"SHUT UP!" Guinevere shouted back as she fired more blast of dark energy at Mash, "It was not what I wanted, not what I dreamed of for myself." She said as Mash's shield took the blasts, the shielder started to walk towards her mother, "I was to be with the King, my King!" She continued to rapid fire as Mash approached, her shield still taking the damage, "Why am I to suffer in a twist of fate!? Why am I to not to get what was my dream ever since I first meet the King of Knight!?" She said as had a larger blast than the ones before, the force nocking away Mash's shield form her hand, "Now, you can be erased from this world, and I can start a new one. A world where I get exactly what I should have had from the start." She then unleashed another blast, point blank at Mash.

At the last moment, Mash lounged to Guinevere. Ducking the blast, with the dark energy singing the ends of her hair at the right side. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, hugging her, "Please, stop this!" Mash pleaded one more time, her eyes shut in with tears "There is still time, you can-" Suddenly, she felt her mother's hands on her shoulders, causing Mash the open her eyes in shock. In the back of her mind, she thought she did the impossible.

"Mash…" Guinevere said in a soft voice, rubbing her daughter's shoulders, "Why do you always have to make my life so much more complex." Suddenly, she moved her hands to Mash's neck, choking the shielder. Mash gasped for air as her feet were lifted off the ground. "Soon, I will be freed from you." She said as Mash eyes slowly started to roll in the back of her head, her voice muffled as she tried to scream.

However, in the distance, Lancelot here her cried, "Elp…elp…" He heard Mash's voice, turning to see his wife's hands coiled around his daughter's neck, "Help…" Mash said in a weak voice as her eyes started to close. In that second, Lancelot's visor glowed a bright red, brighter than ever before. He adjusted his grip of the pole like a javelin and threw towards his wife. When it was too late, Guinevere saw the pole approaching her arms. The momentum of the toss had not only gone pierced both arms but ripped them off at the elbow. Mash fell onto the ground, gasping for air. While Guinevere screamed in tremendous pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Guinevere whaled as blood spurted out her open wounds. She then glared over Lancelot, who glared back, "You…" She said before stumbling then looking back to Arthur Alter, "Kill them all!" She declared as Arthur Alter let out a loud yell. Lancelot held his arms to shield himself from the shockwave. As he lowered them, Lancelot saw another horde of Grimm approaching Chaldea. Arthur Alter pointed at the black knight with his blacked Excalibur, seeing his foe as now defenseless.

Mash regain her breath as she looked over to the horde of Grimm. Quickly, she found her shield and raised it to the sky, "Lord Camelot!" She declared as she slammed her shield forward, a set of white walls appearing to block the path of the Grimm from reaching Chaldea. As she watched the Grimm approach, Mash saw Guinevere running in the opposite direction. The Grimm paired her no mind as she ran away, "Mom…" Mash solemnly said before forcing herself to focus on maintaining the barrier.

Not too far away, a smaller Atlas airship touched the ground. At the hatched slide open, multiple soldiers rushed out, each wielding a rifle aimed at a Grimm's skull. Last of the group was a younger soldier, struggling to carry a Gatling gun, "Oh boy!" He said as he just jumped off the airship, "Knew I should have picked something lighter." Suddenly, the Atlas soldier saw Lancelot throwing into the air by Arthur Alter. The black knight ripped the metal of the airship as he jumped out, then looked over to the now speechless Atlas soldier. Lancelot then looked down at the soldier's weapon, taking it out of his hands. The Atlas Soldier watched as the Gatling gun was covered in a black aura with red cracks, "Yeah, you can have it." The Atlas soldier sheepishly said as he back up then ran in the opposite direction.

Lancelot then turned to see Arthur Alter rushing him. The barrels began to spin as red energy bullets began to fly, "Arrrthurrrrrr!" Lancelot declared as he fired a barrage of bullets at the Alter of the King of Knights. However, Arthur Alter deflected the shots with his blacked Excalibur. Once within range, he cut the barrels of the Gatling gun in half, then made a horizontal slash to the black knight. Lancelot jumped back to dodge, landing on the small airship. Out from his back protruded some type of spikes then injected into the airship. In a few seconds, the airship glowed with the same black and red aura. The airships cannons then aimed at the Alter of the King of Knights, blasting him back a few meters. However, Arthur Alter recovered at the airship began to take off. Lancelot took to the sky before dive-bombing towards his foe, "Ahrrr!" Lancelot screamed before crashing into Arthur Alter, causing a large explosion. The force of the blast and momentum launched Lancelot into the walls of Chaldea. In the fiery debris, Arthur Alter walked out. He looked down to see he blacken Excalibur regain its glow. He then looked over to Mash's location and started walking.

 _Jaune_

A few seconds earlier, inside Chaldea, Jaune fallowed Caren as the two ran down the halls, "Why did you take me away from the battle!?" He asked her.

"I just got word of my father's condition." Caren responded, "And I remember hearing that you are somewhat good at healing to make up for the fact you are a crappy fighter?"

"Hey!" Jaune said in the offense to that statement. However, before he could retort, something crashing into the wall in front of them. Jaune and Caren shielded their eyes from the smoke for a second. The male Arc then looked to see the Blake Knight emerge from the rubble, his armor dented and blood gushing out his helmet, "Lancelot!?" Jaune identified before remembering something, "I tough you were with Mash?"

"There she is!" Caren said as she pointed out the hole in the wall, seeing Mash holding back the Grimm with the Lord Camelot. However, the medical professor them noticed Arthur Alter waking towards the female shielder, "But that guy doesn't look friendly!"

"Another Alter!?" Jaune said as his eyes widened, "And is that one of-" He then noticed Lancelot getting up, attempting to jump down to reengage in combat, "Hey wait!" Jaune said as he stopped the black knight, "You can't fight him like this, he will kill you!"

"Gaaaaa!" Lancelot responded as he pointed to Mash. Even though Jaune could understand the words, he knew what Lancelot was trying to protect.

"Don't worry, I won't let him kill her either." Jaune said to Lancelot before looking to Careen, "I have dealt with an alter before, it takes a lot of skill to put one down for good."

"Then how were you able to win." She responded, causing Jaune's gaze on her to turn narrow, "Sorry, continue."

"Well, I didn't beat my alter. A member of Team Round Table did." Jaune then looked back to Lancelot, "And that's what we need now." The black knight had a look of confusion for a second before he knew what the male Shielder was saying. Jaune then looked at the two as he spawned his shield and sword, "I'll back up Mash, but you two need to work fast!" He then jumped out of the hole in the wall, stabbing his sword in the wall to ease his way down.

Careen looked down see Jaune make a somewhat soft landing as he ran towards Mash, "Huh, maybe I should give him a bit more credit." She said before looking at Lancelot, "Come on, I know what I need to do to you." She said with the black knight nodding.

Mash gritted her teeth as more Grimm began to pile against the walls and her shield. Her eyes then widened as she saw Arthur Alter hold his sword to his side, "Excalibur…" The Alter of the King of Knights declared as the black energy began to reach its climax, "Morgan!" He said before unleashing an upward slash, releasing a wave of black energy towards Mash's Lord Camelot.

Right before impact, Jaune ran to Mash's side. He pressed his shield to support hers, a yellow light barrier adding to Lord Camelot's defenses. The black beam of Excalibur Morgan collided with the barriers, but was unable to break through, "Jaune!" Mash said with a smile on her face.

"Need a hand?" Jaune responded with a smile as well, causing her to nod. The two shielders them had a look of focus as they poured their power into the defenses. Arthur Alter gritted his teeth before pumping more energy into his Noble Phantasm, the black beam growing large. The blast wave began to expand, vaporizing any Grimm that were too close. The dark energy started to rise over the walls of Lord Camelot, but the castle started to grow in stature. Jaune smiled as he saw their defenses holding up, but started to see the barrier start to crack, "Come on, just a little longer."

"What are you waiting for?" Mash asked, but he smiled back. He then looked back towards Chaldea, near the hole in the wall of the school. She faintly heard something being electrocuted.

Suddenly, Mash's eyes widened as she saw her father at the edge of the hole, his armor no longer radiating the dark aura. In his right hand was a large dark purple sword. In his left hand, his helmet before he dropped it onto the ground. He had short purple hair, matching his eyes as he glared at Arthur Alter, "Arrive at the farthest end. Cross the boundary." Lancelot chanted as he held the sword up with both hands, a light blue shine added to the blade. Suddenly, he leaped forward over Lord Camelot barriers, "O distant king, witness this light!" He said as descended towards Arthur Alter, who gasped in the inability to defend, "Arondight Overload!" Lancelot declared as he vertically bespectacled The Alter of the King of Knights, the blade painfully cutting through the flesh. Once the sword was all the way through, Arthur Alter's body became engulfed in blue light. his black blood evaporated and his corpse fading like a Grimm.

Once the shine was over, nothing remained of the Alter of the King of Knight. Lancelot let out a sigh at the end, but then heard his daughter, "Papa!" Mash called as she and Jaune ran over to him, "You changed your class back to a saber!" She said with tears in her eyes.

"Yes Mash," Lancelot responded, a smile on his face. Mash then rushed forward and hugged her father, of which he hugged her back, "I know how hard this has been for you. But from now on, I will be there for you, as this type of knight." He said as they closed their eyes together. In a few seconds, Lancelot opened one eye after feeling someone else join the hug. He looked over to see Jaune hugging him as well, but his hand onto of Mash. This time, Lancelot had a soft smile as he closed his eyes again.

 _ **?**_

Walking alone in the plains of Apocrypha, Guinevere vision became blurry from the blood loss, "Those fools, they have not won. They will not win." She said as she continued to stumble, "My King will take down their fortress, then return to me victorious. After all, he is the King of Knights." Suddenly, She fell to one knee, "My plan will work, I will get what I should have gotten years ago." Guinevere then started to stand up, "I will not lose." Suddenly, her how vision turned black, but she could still see her body, "W-What?" Guinevere said as she found herself in a black void of emptiness, "What is this place?"

 _ **My, how interesting.**_

"Whose there!?" Guinevere said in response to the voice, "Show yourself!?"

 _ **In almost two decades, you have helped to create more Grimm than any other lone soul in this world. Your hatred of the world is admirable. However, it seems all your drive for hatred has been replaced with fear.**_

"Fear!?" Guinevere responded, "What are you talking about!? Answer me!?"

 _ **Grimm are made of negative emotions, that is common knowledge. While fear is a negative emotion, it cannot be used to make as stronger bread of Grimm. You must be familiar with the saying. There is nothing to fear but fear itself.**_

The voice in the darkness gave a slight chuckle, causing Guinevere to grit her teeth in a rage, "SILENCE!" She shouted, causing the voice to go quiet, "What have I to fear!? I will win this war! My King and I will-"

Suddenly, a woman in a black cloak appeared in front of Guinevere. Her skin the palest white to match her hair. Black veins protruded across her face. The white of her eyes was black, the irises were as red as any Grimms were. Guinevere took a step back as the person had a slight smile.

 _ **Where is your king now?**_

"W-what are you!?" Guinevere responded as she took another step back, "An Alter Giles did not tell me about?" Her last words caused the woman's smile to fade, replaced with a look devoid of most emotion, except for a hint of anger.

 _ **To compare me to one of those disgusting abominations.**_

Guinevere watched as the woman raised her right arm. Suddenly, the black void was filled gazing red eyes, hundreds of them, all focused on Guinevere. She saw as a salivating mouth of a beast appeared under each set of eyes. She knew what these were but could not understand how they are were looking at her from every angle. It was as if they were uninhibited by the demotions of the void. They were free here.

 _ **That has sealed your fate.**_

Guinevere began to hyperventilate as she saw no way to defend herself and nowhere to run, "Who are you?"

 _ **Do you wish to know my name?**_

The woman said before a small smile reappeared on her face.

… _**There is nothing to fear but fear itself.**_

Suddenly, the woman snapped her fingers. The noticed echoed throughout the entirety of the black void, signaling all the Grimm to lunge. In the first bite, Guinevere screamed as the chop broke her right leg, forcing her to her back. The fang continued to rip apart her flesh and she screamed with every tare until they went for her throat. The woman watched as the Grimm were feed, the smile on her face growing slightly larger.

 _Arturia_

Sitting next to the vehicle, Arturia felt her whole-body pulse. She gritted her teeth as she clenched her heart, "Oh no," She said in her heavy breathing, "I don't have much time left." Suddenly, she heard a motorcycle approaching. As the King of Knights stood up, her eyes widened at the sight of who was driving it.

Pull up next to the vehicle was Mordred, getting off the bike as she glared at Arturia, "Hey, we need to talk." She said in a serious voice to the King of Knights, "And this time, you need to tell me everything."

 **AN: There you go, Guinevere and Arthur Alter are both dead. A lot of NP were thrown this chapter, but Lancelot's one at the end is my favorite. He gets an amazing moment and showed he will do anything to protect his daughter. Guinevere has the most brutal ends at the hands of Salem, who while was a late addition to the story, has been one of my favorite characters to write. You see a little more of what her reality marble can do, but the rest will remain a secret for now. And then ending goes into the last battle in this invasion.**

 **So, we have three chapters left of this story: the thematic last chapter, the epilogue for everyone, and the bonus chapter. My plan for them is to write all three before releasing the first one. That way, I can do a daily upload of the ending of this story without any wait time in between the chapters. It does mean it will be a while until my next update, maybe even a mouth or so. But when it does happen, you will have a competed story right away. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	84. Chapter 81 - Wayward Son

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This is it; the last three chapters are done and will be released daily. This one is the final confrontation of the whole invasion, focusing on the last few characters to this series. It was a blast to write with an interesting twist towards the middle. Some may not like what happens at the end, but it has been the plan for a while to have this outcome for the story. Thank you for all the support you have shown this story and please check out the TV Tropes page for it. I should have then next chapter out at around the same time tomorrow. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Chapter 81 – Wayward Son**

 _Yang_

In the wreckage of the small town to the far east side of Apocrypha, Gilgamesh stood next to his Vimana. He then turned over to see Yang running towards him, out of breath, "You found nothing as well?" He asked.

"Nothing, Mor isn't here." Yang said as she caught her breath, slight relief in her voice, "I did find some tracks that I'm sure are from Bumblebee." She said as he pointed northwest, "They were going that way."

"Then let's go," Gilgamesh said before the two jumped on the Vimana, the golden airship soon taking off. As they flew, he turned to see Yang holding her arms as she looked down, "You're concerned for her safety."

"You saw that town," Yang responded, "That must have been some sudden Grimm invasion to cause that much damage." She said before tightening her grip, "And besides, even if Mor is safe, about her father? That's who she is more concerned about right now."

"The King of Knights is not so easily dealt with." Gilgamesh responded, "And neither is her son." He said with Yang again a small smile back on her face, "With Vimana's speed, we should be able to find them in no-"

Suddenly, a black ball of energy collided with the bottom of Vimana. The golden airship began to swerve and spiral out of control, "What was that!?" Yang said as she fell to one knee. She then looked over to see they were about to hit the ground. Yang then turned to see Gilgamesh still trying to regain control. The blond berserker then tackled the King of Heroes and herself off Vimana. They rolled on the ground after the impact with Gil looking over to see his golden airship smash into the ground, exploding in a violent blast. Yang held her head as she moved to a sitting position, "I'm sorry Gil, but if we didn't bail…"

"I know…" Gilgamesh said with sorrow in his voice, standing up, "But Vimana should not have fallen so easily." He said as he walked over to offer Yang a hand, "What hit us?"

"That would be me," Gilgamesh and Yang looked over to see Gilles de Rais, a smile on his cross-eyed face, "I have been waiting for you, King of Heroes."

"You're a former professor," Gilgamesh said as he squinted.

"Chaldea hired someone who looks that evil?" Yang asked with Gilles giggling, then erupting into sudden laughter, "This guy gives me the creeps."

"Oh, I will give you more than that my dear," Gilles responded.

"What are you doing here?" Gilgamesh said with a scowl, "I remember hearing that you disappeared and were presumed dead."

"I have been working with new companions for a mission to reshape the world of Remnant." The cross-eyed caster said before a frown formed on his face, "However, they all have died in our invasion of Chaldea."

"Chaldea was invaded!?" Yang responded in shock before turning to Gilgamesh, "What have we missed?"

Gilles continued, "But they failed because their goals were all selfish and egotistical." He then had a toothy smile on his smile, "My vision is of an Elysium."

"A what?" Yang responded.

"A world after death, where only the chosen may live on." Gilgamesh answered while he glared at Gilles, "And let me guess, you plan to kill everyone except those you find acceptable."

"Almost, I intend to kill everyone, starting with this kingdom." Gilles responded, "Those who I choose, an alter will take their place at my side."

"What's an alt-" Yang asked but Gilgamesh cut her off, spawning multiple yellow vortexes, causing her to shrug, "I guess I don't need to know. You've already outed yourself a bad guy."

"Normally, I would have you suffer for destroying Vimana." Gilgamesh said as he slightly raised his head, causing multiple spearheads and swords to protrude out of the vortexes, "But we are in a rush so I will end you quickly." Just as he was about to unleash his arsenal, Gilles grinned.

Suddenly, a purple glyph appeared under the King of Heroes feet. He glanced down just before his body overflowed in a flash of purple lightning, "GIL!" Yang shouted as Gilgamesh screamed in pain. Before she could make another move, she felt the ground shake. Erupting from the soil were pillars of black mud. Yang jumped back to avoid the gunk but watched as it started to flow into the yellow vortexes.

Gilgamesh gritted his teeth as he forced the vortex's close but spawned one more near his head. Then pulled out Ea from it and stabbed the glyph near his feet, breaking it with his red energy. His eyes then filled with fury as he glared at the cross-eyed caster, "What did you do to my Gate of Babylon!?" he then fell to one knee, clenching his chest with his left hand.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Gilles laughed as smiled, "The black mud has infected your Gate of Babylon and is now draining each of your Noble Phantasms of their power." He then looked over to see Gilgamesh clenching his heart, "And it is indirectly draining you as well."

"You dare dirty my treasures!?" Gilgamesh said as he stood up but quickly fell back to one knee in pain, "I'll kill you-" The King of Heroes was saying until he looked over to see Yang walking past him and towards Gilles.

"You know, there is a short list of people and things I don't let others mess with." Yang said as her eyes turned red, "My family, my friends, my bike, my hair." She then hit her fist together, "And my boyfriend."

"Oh, such passion." Gilles commented, "It reminds me of the love I had for the young Jeanne." He said as he slight blushed, "Especially in that revealing outfit she wore for the holidays."

"Now you're just adding to the list of reasons for me to kick your ass!" Yang said before rushing forward. Gilles then sneered as he pulled out a book from inside his sleeves. As he opened it, it glowed in purple light.

Suddenly, Gilgamesh screamed in pain as one of his yellow vortex's opened, "Behind you!" The King of Heroes warned with Yang turning around, seeing a horizontal pillar of black mud heading straight for her.

The blond berserker dodge rolled to her left, seeing the mud form into a ball next to Gilles, "This is only of a fraction of the black mud that is still inside you." The cross eyed caster said to Gilgamesh before looking to Yang, "Still, it is more than enough to create an alter of you." he then had a smile before his book started to glow, "And unlike the others, I do not need you alive for bait." Suddenly, the black mud began to charge towards Yang.

Yang ran as she avoided the gunk from touching her body, "No way am I letting that stuff anywhere near me." She then looked over to see Gilgamesh try to raise Ea, but his body shocked in a bolt of purple lightning again, "I need to win this fast." She then looked over to Gilles, focusing on the book, "And that's how." She said before taking out Kairi's shotgun and aiming at Gilles. However, before she could pull the trigger, the black mud got in the way of her shot. She gasped as the gunk tried to cover her like a wave from the ocean. Yang jumped back to dodge gritting her teeth, "Damn, how am I supposed to get a clear shot when-" Suddenly, Yang remembered something that made her grin.

Gilles smirked as he watched Yang continue to dodge the black mud, "You are just prolonging the inevitable." He said as Yang quick fired two shots from her shotgun, but not aimed at anything, "Hm, desperation is sinking in now." the cross-eyed caster said as Yang tripped, turning to see the black mud about to envelope her, "It's over." Gilles said before he laughed, "AHAHAHA-" Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back. His blood erupted from his body before his heart started to beat wildly. Gilles' eyes twitched as he turned around, seeing the shots that Yang had fired where fingers. The fingers redirected themselves towards Gilles, piercing through his chest and towards his heart. "AAAAAA!" Gilles screamed in pain, dropping the book.

Yang watched as the black mud paused for a second, allowing her to escape before it could contact her skin. She then rushed towards Gilles, who was coughing blood, "How's this for desperate!" Yang said before unleashing a running right crossing into the center of the Gilles' face. The force of the impact almost straightens his eyes as his face caved in on itself. Gilles body fling back as Yang noticed the book near her feet, "Let's see how you like people messing with your stuff." She said as he loaded one of her fire rounds into the shotgun.

Though the blood pouring out his eyes and nose, Gilles watched as Yang blasted the book to cinders, "No!" He shouted as Yang turned to him with a smirk, "You have no idea what you have done." He said in a panicked voice causing Yang to have a look of worry on her face. She turned to see the black mud pulsating wildly, then saw Gilgamesh screaming as multiple vortexes opened around him, "It now no longer has a method of control." The cross-eyed caster said as the black mud shot out of the Gate of Babylon, reforming into a massive pile. Suddenly, Gilles smiled, "You have unleashed true chaos now." He said with a smile as Yang gritted her teeth, running over to Gilgamesh, "AHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!" Gilles laughed as the black mud started to glow a violent red.

 _Gilgamesh_

Gilgamesh looked to see Yang running towards him, but he noticed the black mud continue to glow and condense. His eyes widened as he knew what was about to happen next. Yang turned around as she realized the same thing, the ball of the black mud had turned into a bomb. A bomb that had detonated into a massive explosion in a black wave of energy, forming a large pillar to the sky. Yang watched as the laughing Gilles was encompassed by the blasts, reducing him to ashes. She knew she had to run, but also knew there was nowhere to run anymore. Suddenly, Gilgamesh stood in front of Yang, holding out Ea towards the blast wave. The Sword of Rapture radiated its red energy as a barrier, obliterating the black energy waves heading towards them. However, Gilgamesh fell to one knee as he tried to maintain Ea in his condition. He coughed blood as he realized this blast wave contained the power of all his other noble phantasms. In his mind, he knew Ea was still stronger than that.

"Gil!" Gilgamesh heard Yang call to him. He turned to see her struggling to resist the blast wave, even under his barrier. She reached out for him, just before another pulse wave approached. At the last second, Gilgamesh reached out with his left hand, catching hers before she could be lost to the blast. However, the two then turned to see another blast wave come, this one much large. The collision of energy though Gilgamesh off his balance, allowing the black energy to slam into Ea, cracking its frame. Gilgamesh's and Yang's eyes widened as Ea exploded in red energy, saving the two from the black mud's destruction, but unleashing its power onto them. The two flew across the plains in the waves of energy, their grip on each other loosening before finally giving way. "GIL!" Yang shouted before she lost sight of the King of Heroes in the sea of black and red energy. Suddenly, the back of her head then collided with the jagged end of a rock, knocking her out.

A few moments later, Yang slowly regained consciousness. She opened her eyes, wincing in pain as she felt the back of her head. As she looked up at the night sky, a large ring of dark clouds circled the area, sparking with red lightning. As Yang stood up, she held her side in agony, struggling to maintain her stance. The blond berserker then looked to see the entire landscape in ruins. The radius of the destruction stretching for half a mile, while the depth of the crater was a few dozen feet deep. Suddenly, she remembered, "Where's Gil?" Yang said as she staggered through the land, "Hey Gil! Can you hear me!" She shouted, but everything else was silent, "Come on, I know you're out here. If I could survive, so could you." She said with a slight, but painful, giggle in her voice, but everything else was silent. "Gilgamesh…King of Heroes…Goldie…Gil…" Yang called out, but everything else was silent. Suddenly she fell to her knees as tears from her in hers, "I know everyone calls you selfish. That you don't have a lot of friends because of your attitude." She said as a slight smile formed through her tears, "But just them, you tried to save me. If you hadn't focused on me, you would be here right now." She said with her tears flowing more as her smile grew, "I don't know what's selfish about that."

Suddenly, she heard some rocks moving nearby, "Gil!" Yang said in joy as she ran over to the noise. As she moved some of the rocks to the side, she discovered The King of Heroes right arm exposed to the elbow, "You jerk, you were playing me just them." She said with a giggle as she moved more the rocks, "Too bad, If you had waited just a bit long, I might have said-" Yang said with her face turning pale, the smile fading as a look of horror filled her eyes. While she did find Gilgamesh's right arm, it was only his right arm. The rest of the body was nowhere to be found. Yang screamed in terror as she jumped back, her breathing rapid as she pushed herself away from the severed limb. Suddenly, she heard another rubbing in the ground near her. However, she now feared what she would find. Still, she hesitantly walked over to the pile of rocks, "Gil…" She said as he took a rock away from the pile.

Suddenly, the black mud erupted from the pile of rocks. The amount was but only a gallon, but its potency was still deadly. Yang could not dodge as the gunk implanted on her face, borrowing through her mouth and nostrils. Yang fell to her back as she screamed in muffed pain, her irises slowly changing color, not red, but a golden yellow.

 _Moments earlier._

 _Mordred_

"Y-you can't be serious." Mordred said in shock to Arturia, who had a look of sorrow in her eyes, "I'm not a homunculus, but a bastard. One between you and… Diarmuid." In saying that, Mordred remembered the last time she saw Diarmuid before he died. "How!?" She asked the King of Knights.

"There were multiple reasons," Arturia responded, "It happened so fast after my…change." She then had a look of focus as she stepped towards Mordred, "We didn't know what to do-"

"So, you lied to everyone!? Even your own dau-" Mordred said before catching herself, "…You're supposed to be the King of Knights." She said as she tightened her fists, "How could you do this? How could you make this mistake?" She said with tears forming in her eyes.

"Mordred-" Arturia responded but Mordred tried to walk away. However, Arturia grabbed her by the right shoulder, "I have made many mistakes, but having you was not one of them." She said with Mordred gritting her teeth to hide her tears.

"Did you…" Mordred said as she tried to wipe the tears from her face, "Did you see my round in Grand Order?"

"It was interrupted. I only saw until after you used your Noble Phantasm." Arturia responded, "I'm sorry Mordred, but what was the outcome?"

Mordred then turned to look the King of Knight's in the eyes, "…I lost." She said with Arturia having a look of shock, "Yang won, I fell out of bounds." She said with a weak smile on her face, "That means you win our beat, I'll leave you alone." She then slowly pushed off Arturia's hand from her shoulder, "Goodbye." Mordred said before walking away, Arturia not knowing what to say.

Suddenly, the two felt the ground shake in a tremor. Arturia and Mordred then turned to see a massive pillar of black energy in the distance. Suddenly, Arturia remembered the event seven years ago, "Oh no." She said in the horror of realization of history trying to repeat itself.

"What?" Mordred turned to the King of Knights before pointing to the explosion, "Do you know what caused that?"

"Mordred, give me the keys to that bike." Arturia said as she extends her hand, "I need to go to that explosion. It could have created something that could cause a great deal of harm to this kingdom."

"How do you know that?" Mordred asked.

"Because this morning, I saw what a similar result lead to the creation of." Arturia said with Mordred having a look of confusion, "If another one gets made, I need to stop it."

"You think you can fight in your condition?" Mordred responded with slight anger in her voice, Arturia gritting her teeth as held her side, "You'll die if you go out." Mordred then glanced back to bumblebee and hopped on, "Just stay here and let me handle this." She said before putting the key into the ignition. However, as soon as she started to ride off, Arturia jumped on her back, holding on, "…Fine, you just watch while I deal with whatever this is."

Mordred and Arturia rode towards the explosion, arriving in silence as they made it to the edge of the crater. As the King of Knight jumped off, her mind flashed back to the small town seven years ago, "It's the same." She said in horror as Mordred had a look of confusion.

However, Mordred then noticed something in the distance, "…That can't be." The prideful knight said as her eyes widened, seeing the back of her roommate in the distance, "Yang!" She said before running over, Arturia turning towards the two, "How did you get here?!" Mordred said as she ran over, "Why are you here of all places?" She asked, but Yang reminded silent. Suddenly, Mordred noticed a few more things off about the blond brawler. Her skin was paler and the hair near her roots was a more faded blond. What was more, the protruding bang atop her head was gone, "Yang…"

"Mor..." Yang spoke in a struggling voice, trying to resist something. As Yang turned around, her eyes crying blood as they glowed with a yellow light, "Run…" Mordred had a look of horror and confusion as Yang screamed, "AAAAH!" The blond berserker alter tried a wild right cross. Mordred spawned her sword, to block, but the force of the impact launched her back a few meters away.

"Yang!" Mordred responded as she recovered, "What happened to you!"

"AAAAAHHHH!" Yang screamed as she leaped forward, attempting a ground slam with both arms. Mordred jumped back to dodge with the ground caving in from Yang's miss.

"That's an alter, like the one Guinevere had," Arturia said to herself before spawning her Excalibur, the blade hidden in the invisible wind. She then rushed towards Yang, slashing her horizontally across the stomach. However, Arturia's body pulsated with pain as she noticed the shallow cut. She then looked to see the blood of the blond berserker alter was red, not black, "What, but that means-"

"AHHH!" Yang screamed as she tried right hook. The King of Knights blocked with her sword, but the force was strong than she anticipated. Her Excalibur bounced off her skull as she was flung back, sliding on the ground before crashing into a stray rock.

"No!" Mordred shouted as she ran over to Arturia helping her up, "What is going on!?"

"Mordred, you have to get out of here," Arturia said as blood from her forehead started to pour into her right eye. They then heard another rubbing in a pile of stones, seeing a mound of the black mud moving on its own. The gunk then launched itself into Yang's wound, absorbing itself into her body. As Yang's wound started to heal, the faded yellow of her hair grew past her root now to the back of her skull, "I thought this was an alter like mine, made of the gunk. But I was wrong." Arturia said as she readied her sword, "That gunk is using her as a base to make the alter, now from the inside out."

"Well, how do we fix her!?" Mordred said as Arturia walked towards Yang, her Excalibur shedding its inviable wind, "No…"

"I'm sorry," Arturia said as she aimed her sword at the sky, "I have enough life left in me to use my Noble Phantasm one last time."

"So, you're going to kill her!?" Mordred said in fury, "She's my friend!"

"Mordred, look at her!" Arturia shouted back. Mordred then looked over to see Yang, her body twitching as she gritted her teeth, "She is trying to resist it, but the black mud is tearing her apart." Arturia said with Mordred seeing again the tears of blood on Yang's face, "I will end her suffering, even if it ends my life as well." The King of Knights said with her sword glowing with a yellow light, closing her eyes as she was lost in thought, "Mordred, I cannot let you do this to your friend. I will shoulder this burden for you." Arturia then opened her eyes with focus, reeling her sword back, "Exc-" Suddenly, Mordred rushed over to the Yang, attempting a downward vertical slash with her Clarent. However, Yang caught then blade with her right hand, "Mordred, what are you doing!?"

"I'm not going to this happen!" Mordred shouted back to Arturia as she focused on Yang, "I'll save Yang. You don't have to kill yourself using your noble phantasm."

"Mor…" Yang said through her teeth, "Be..am.."

"Shut up!" Mordred shouted back as she started to have tears form in her eyes, "I can't lose both of you, not like this." She said before Yang delivered a left hook into Mordred's sword, knocking it out of her hand. The prideful knight then gasped as Yang forced her to the ground, unleashing punch after punch directly into Mordred's face. The ground began to cave in on itself with each punch, going deeper with each strike. After a few hits, Mordred lifted her right leg to kick off Yang, launching the blond breaker alter a few feet away. Arturia looked over in horror to see Mordred's face bloody, her right eye swollen shut. The prideful knight then pushed herself up, her stance wobbly, "If anyone should die here," Mordred said as Yang got up, "It should be me."

"Mordred…" Arturia said as she lowered her sword.

"Chaldea deserves a King of Knights, not her bastard child." Mordred said with a weak smile, "And Yang deserves a better friend than me." The prideful knight then turned back to Arturia, "She still needs to see her mother again as well." Mordred then looked back towards Yang. However, the blond berserker alter had rushed forward, hit Mordred with a right gut punch. The prideful knight gasped in agony until Yang hit in her the side of the head with a left hook.

Yang looked to discover her knuckles bloody and exposing the bones. Suddenly, more of the black gunk emerged from the ground as in embedded into her body, "AHHHHH!" The blond berserker alter screamed as her wounds healed, the faded blond hair growing down her back.

Mordred landed next to her sword, causing her to pick it up, "That gunk keeps piling on every time Yang gets damaged." She then reposed her Clarent, "Sorry in advance Yang." The prideful knight lunged forward her sword aimed for Yang. She impaled the blond berserker alter in the stomach.

"AAAHHH!" Yang screamed in pain as more of the black mud emerged from the ground. Suddenly, Mordred regripped her sword, causing red lighting to emerge from the blade. The sparks collided with the gunk, destroying them before they could reach Yang. Mordred smiled at the success of her plan, but then felt Yang grip her shoulders. The blond berserker alter then headbutted Mordred, launching the prideful knight back as she the blade fell out of Yang's stomach. Another pile of the black mud jumped into Yang's wound healing her as she screamed, "AAAAHHHHH!" Now, only highlights of her original hair color remained.

As Mordred tried to push herself up, she looked over to Arturia. The King of Knights raised her sword again as she looked at Yang, "Just give me a chance!" Mordred yelled as Arturia gasped, "Please, let me try one last time." She said as she looked over to the King of Knights. After a few seconds, Arturia lowered her sword,

"AAAHHH!" Yang screamed as struggled to move for a second, "Mor-AAAAAHHHHH!" Yang took her right hand and grabbed her stomach. In one tug, she ripped out a part of her own flesh. Mordred had a look of shock as Yang fell to one knee. Like before another part of the black mud came out of the ground and jumped towards the injury.

However, Mordred stabbed the gunk with her sword, destroying it with her red lighting. The prideful knight then looked over to see Yang wound heal on its own. What was more, her hair regained a part of its normal color, "That's it." Mordred said as Yang started to run towards her, "That stuff heals her from the inside too, but it's not able to sustain itself without more of the gunk." She thought as she dodged Yang's assault.

"Mor…" Yang said through her teeth again, "Beam…"

Suddenly, a smile formed on Mordred's face. "Thanks, I know exactly what you mean now." Arturia then watched as Mordred kicked Yang away. As the blond berserker alter was recovering, the prideful knight aimed her sword at the sky. The King of Knights eyes widened as Clarent glowed violently with red lighting, Mordred inhaling and exhaling her breath, "I need her to burn off all of that black mud and destroy any that try to jump her. If I use too much energy, I'll kill her. If too little, she'll kill me." Mordred said as Yang started to rush for her, "This is it, Clarent Blood Arthur!" Mordred declared as she unleashed a red beam of energy at the blond berserker alter. The beam ripped through the land destroying the black mud that remained hidden underground. Yang took the blast, the electricity burning through her body. However, her wounds began to heal as she walked through the beam. Mordred focused her gaze on Yang, seeing her slowly approach through the damage and recovery.

Arturia watched as Yang, while still over in the beam, was right in front of Mordred. The blond berserker alter raised her right arm with a fist forming. The King of Knights attempted to rush in but stopped herself upon realizing it. Mordred stopped her beam as she dropped her sword. At the same time, the beam revealed Yang. Her body was tattered and skin charred, her eyes closed as she fell over. Mordred caught Yang as the two fell to the ground. As she examined her roommate, the prideful knight noticed her hair was back to normal, including protruding bang. As Mordred held her close, Yang opened her eyes for a few seconds, reveling their lilac color. In that moment, the blond brawler used the last of her energy to make a small smile before passing out. Mordred smiled back, bringing tears to her eyes as she hugged her friend close enough to feel her heart still beating. Arturia smiled as she saw her daughter had not only saved her friend, but the King of Knights as well.

 _The King of Knights_

A few minutes later, Mordred hung up her scroll as before turning to Arturia, who was tending to an unconscious Yang, "Okay, a medical team should be here in a bit." The prideful knight said before sitting down. "All we have to do now is wait."

"Mordred…" Arturia said, but Mordred continued to speak.

"I know. As soon as your better, you'll leave to find the way to return to your original body." Mordred said with a weak smile forming, "It's okay, I get it."

"No Mordred," Arturia responded, "I was going to say-" However, the two knights felt the ground trembling. They looked to the north, both of their eyes widening in fear. Approaching them was a massive horde of Grimm of all types, charging at full speed, "What, but how!?" Arturia said before she remembered the event seven years ago, the Grimm that came after the explosion.

"Damn it!" Mordred said as she stood up, spawning her Clarent. However, her body pulsated in pain as she fell to one knee, "No…I'm too drained to use my Noble Phantasm again." She then looked over to the blond berserker's body, "She is in no condition for any of us to move her." Mordred then clenched her fists, "What do I do, what do I do?"

"Mordred…" Arturia spoke as a sincere smile formed on her face, "It's okay."

"What!?" Mordred responded as the King of Knights walked over, "How is this okay!?" Arturia then knelt next to Yang, reaching into her own chest, a bright yellow vortex appearing. The prideful knight's eyes widened as Arturia pulled out a yellow and blue sheath through her body. "Avalon?"

"I only have enough life left in me to do three things." Arturia said in a weaker voice before aiming the sheath over Yang, "I will impart Avalon onto your friend, ensure she will make it out of here alive." Mordred's eyes then widened in fear as Arturia's body began to glow in yellow light, slowly fading away, "The third, I will destroy that horde with Excalibur." She said as she stood up, walking over to Mordred.

"You can't, it will kill you!" Mordred said before she realized something, "Wait, what was the second thing?"

Standing in front of Mordred, Arturia smiled. She reached out her arms and hugged her daughter close, "Mordred, you have grown into a fine knight." The King of Knights said into her daughter's ear, "And I know you will grow up into a better king for this land than I." Mordred was at a loss for words, tears forming in her eyes, "I'm proud of you." Arturia said as Mordred hugged her back. After a few seconds, the shaking ground from the stampede grew more furious. With a heavy heart, Arturia let go of Mordred and turned towards the approaching horde. Mordred watched as Arturia walked towards the Grimm, not one ounce of fear in her steps. The Knight of Knights spawned her sword, closing her eyes as she aimed to the sky, the yellow particles gathering, "Sheathed in the breath of stars. A torrent of shining life. Hail! The Sword of Promised Victory," Arturia declared as a yellow particle of light flowed through her blade. She opened her eyes, glaring down each Grimm as they rushed her, "EXCALIBUR!" The King of Knights declared as she made a downwards slashed, unleashing a massive blast wave towards the horde.

The Grimm tried to turn around at the last second, but it was too late. The light of Excalibur overflowed every one of the creatures, bathing in the burning energy. Their flesh disintegrated as their bone armor crumbled into dust. Piercing the night sky above, the beam off Excalibur became a beacon over the land of Apocrypha. Mordred eyes remained focused on Arturia's back, seeing her body become more transparent, fading in the same light as the weapon. Her eyes welled more with tears at the end, but they widened for a second as saw it. Arturia turned around towards Mordred, a slight smile on her face before her body completely faded away, the sword Excalibur falling to the ground.

 **AN: There you go, that last battle to the invasion is over. Gilles was a bit of a red herring to who the real final foe was for this story. When making this story, I made it a rule not to have one main character. I wanted it to feel like everyone had a role and an arc in some fashion. However, if I had to pick one that was the focal character for this story, it would be Mordred. It is her arc that I knew I wanted to end this story on, finally getting the ending she deserved to her character. The relationship with Arturia has been set up since the beginning. Here, it reached its natural climax. The King of Knights pacing on, now finally reconciling with herself and Mordred. For me, this was the perfect way to conclude both of their stories here, and the main story in general.**

 **If you have any question or concerns about character conditions, I would ask you wait until the next chapter. The next chapter is the final chapter/epilogue, where most of those questions will be answered. I should post it same time tomorrow. It is a long one too, about as long as The First Culmination was. It doesn't have every single character in it, but I try to cover everyone who had a main role in this story as much as possible.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	85. Final Chapter - Smile

**AN: Hey everyone, here it is. This would be the stories epilogue for everyone I can think of that needed an epilogue. I'll keep the author's note short, but the one at the end will be a very longer as I reflect on everything in this series. If you have made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Final Chapter – Smile**

 _Yang_

Inside the Chaldea infirmary, Yang's eyes slowly opened as the sunlight hit her eyelids. She was looked at the ceiling but turned right. There, Mordred was sitting in a chair, smiling at her friend, "Hey," The blond berserker said with a smile forming as well.

"Hey," Mordred responded, "How do you feel?"

Yang moved to a sitting position as she rolled her right shoulder, "You know, considering the beating I took, I expected to be in bed for like a month." She then looked at her arm, not seeing a single scratch, "But I feel good as new."

"That's Avalon for you." Yang looked to see Kairi was also in the room, sitting across her bed, "The healing sheath Arturia used, said to be what she held her hopes and dreams with." He said with his arms crossed and a smile on his face, "Normally, you would be bedridden for a month, maybe two. But with Avalon, you recovered to full in just one day."

"Wow," Yang responded before turning to Mordred, "I guess then she'll want it back right." Suddenly, the prideful knight went silent as Yang saw a look of sorrow in her eyes, "Mor…"

Mordred then had the smile return to her face, "I think you should keep." She responded before standing up, her hands in her pockets, "Besides, we don't really know how to get it out of you." She said with a slight giggle, Yang responded in kind.

However, Yang heard another person laughing, one with a familiar arrogance to his voice. She turned to see Kairi remove the curtain of the bed across, revealing the King of Heroes. His body bandaged. On his missing right arm was a prosthetic brace, of which he used to wave, "Gil!" Yang said with tears forming, "You're alive!"

"Of course, the King of Heroes will not fall that easily," Gilgamesh responded before looking at where his right arm was, "Though, I think this is some form of karma." He said before remembered in altercations with the grey-haired assassin.

Kairi then led the conversation as he stood up, "I found him in a pile of rubble when I went to pick up you and Mordred. He was launched nearly half a mile from the actual crater." The necromancer then looked over to Yang and Gilgamesh, "Both of you were exposed to the black mud, the stuff that makes alter." He then turned towards Yang, "However, all of the gunk is out your system." He then turned to Gilgamesh, "But they're still trying to find a way to purify your Gate of Babylon. I advise you not to use it for the foreseeable future until they find a cure." Kairi said with The King of Heroes nodding, "Good, we'll leave you two to rest now." He said before him and Mordred exited the room.

Gilgamesh and Yang sat the room for silence for a bit, "…I understand if this is the end for us." The King of Heroes spoke up, "I have lost my Vimana, Gate of Babylon, Ea, and my right arm." he said as he looked at the ceiling, "I have no treasures left."

"I still have you." Yang responded with a smile, regaining the King of Heroes attention, "And you still have me." She said with a slight giggle in her voice, "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Gilgamesh made a slight chuckle as well before smiling, "Thank you."

 _Mordred_

Walking down the halls, Kairi turned to see Mordred walking with her hands in her pockets still, "You didn't want to show her. After I spent hours looking for them and reforging the metal." he asked with Mordred taking out her right hand. On her index finger was a red ring, on her middle finger was a yellow one, "Pieces of Diarmuid's spears, now made into rings for her daughter."

"Did you know?" Mordred asked before putting her hand back in her pocket.

"I had my theories, like that fact that his love spot never worked on you." Kairi responded before smirking, "But I thought that was just because of your rebellious nature." He said before recalling something, "Which reminds me, have you given it any thought?"

"About what?" Mordred asked.

"Your wish and title." Kairi answered, "You did win Grand Order after all. I know with all this chaos; it's going to take a while until both are officially enacted but-"

"I already asked Merlin to grant my wish. He said I should be able to see it now. I was just waiting for Yang to wake up." The prideful knight interrupted with a smile on her face, turning to back to the necromancer, "As for my title, you said it perfectly. I always seem to do the opposite of what people expect of me. And even if it's impossible for me to win, I won't give up." Mordred's smile grew wider as closed her eyes in joy, "It's what makes me the Knight of Rebellion."

Kairi had a smile form on his face as he closed his eyes, "I think that fits you just right."

"What about you?" Mordred responded, "What's your wish?"

"Well, it will take some convincing from both headmasters," The necromancer said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarette, "But I'll wish to take a mission to find Yang's mother."

"You'll what!?" Mordred responded.

"The way I see it, it's only fair to her since she helped you so much to find Arturia." Kairi said before lighting the cigarette, "And it gives me an excuse to get out a little bit." Mordred smiled again as she walked over to the necromancer, hugging him, "You're a good kid, Mordred." He said a few seconds before letting go of her, "So, can I see what it was you wished for?" He said with her smirking.

In the middle of the forest at a small clearing, Kairi and Mordred stood in front of a boulder. Partway embedded in the stone was Excalibur, as well as a small plaque: _The Holy Sword Excalibur, used by the King of Knights. If thou are truly ready to inherit the title and protect the people of Apocrypha with this blade; one must remove the sword from the stone_. Kairi smirked as he remembered the Mordred's last time attempting the trial from Arturia. But as he looked over, the Knight of Rebellion had her hands in her pockets. "Goodbye…King of Knights." Mordred said before Kairi patted her back, a tear falling from her eyes.

 _Blake_

Just over the beach, Achilles brought his chariot in for a landing. His passengers were Medusa and Blake, the former of whom was helping the other stand up, "Are you too sure you should be coming along? Both of you have your injuries." He said as he looked of a spot to touch down.

"I want to make sure Penthesilea is okay?" Blake responded.

"Agreed," Medusa added on, "She did come to save me after all. This is the least I could do for her." as they landed, the finally noticed the condition of the beach. The sand was turned over, holes of soil and mud were mixed with the water. The nearby trees were damaged with various slash marks: some from Grimm, others from the berserker queen's claws. Bits of the bone armor littered the sand, some lingering chunks of Grimm started to fade to ashes. In the corner of Medusa's eye, she found noticed Penthesilea. The berserker queen's boots and gauntlets were off, placed to her right side. Her body was littered with cuts and scars, but none seemed too deep. She sat at the edge of the water, the waves just passing over her feet.

The three then walked over, Achilles eyes widening as he saw Penthesilea's face. Her eyes red, but seeming vacant of any kind of emotion, "Is she-" Achilles asked as Medusa passed Blake over to him.

"No, I've seen this before." Medusa said as she knelt next to her teammate, noticing a small smile on her face, "She's sleeping with her eyes open." The pink haired rider said before sighing, "And she wonders why she needs contacts." Medusa then moved to pick up the armor, "I'm put her stuff in the chariot, then be the one to carry her." She said as she looked to Achilles, "It would probably ruin your goodwill to her if she found out you touched her in this state." She said with the young hero nodding.

Achilles then looked to see cat faunus staring off into the ocean, "Blake, you okay?"

"I figured it out," Blake said with a smile forming, "My wish." She then turned back to Achilles, "I want to prove the value of faunus lives, so there can be equality among humans and faunus."

"I thought that was your wish already?" Achilles said with a smirk.

"I did, I thought it was," Blake responded, turning back to the ocean, "But when I think back, anytime I thought that wish couldn't come true, I ran away from it. Even when I came here, I thought my wish was coming true, but I didn't do anything." She then turned back to Achilles, "Professor Chiron said it was my wish for Vale to have this equality. And while that is true, I want the whole world of Remnant to have the kind of peace Apocrypha has." She then looked down as she had a slight giggle in her voice, "You probably think I'm crazy now, that my wish is impossible."

Achilles them held Blake closer, causing her to look back up at him, "Even if it's impossible," He said with a smile, "I'll help you achieve your wish." His words caused the cat faunus to smile as well. In a moment of silence, the two closed their eyes. Heads slowly moved towards one another as their lips inched away from contact.

However, Medusa cleared her throat, stopping the two from continuing, "I think we should get going." The pink haired rider said as she carried Penthesilea, "There could be some Grimm leftover waiting to attack." She said as her stance became a bit wobbly, "Plus, I think I need to return to the infirmary pretty soon."

"I guess you have a point." Achilles said with a sigh, Blake sighing as well. As they walked towards the chariot. However, her feline ears twitched as she heard something in the bushes. As she turned to examine, nothing was moving anymore. She had a look of worry for a second, but shook her head, knowing this war was over. The others then entered the chariot before it took to the skies, returning to Chaldea.

 _Jaune_

As the land was destroyed by Grimm in the invasion, many lives were lost. To identify those who had fallen, a digital directory was placed at the center of Chaldea. On it were the names of all the confirmed dead, but the male shielder focused on one specifically. His eyes were full of sorrow at the loss of his idol.

"Gawain was a good man, and a true knight," Lancelot spoke from behind, startling Jaune as he turned around. Lancelot's armor was now not the dark color as before, but now a stark white with a blue cape. In his right hand, he wielded Excalibur Galatine, "I know he would want me to pass on his blade to someone worthy."

"Are you saying that you'll-" Jaune said as his eyes widened in shock, but Lancelot cut him off.

"Let me propose an ultimatum," Lancelot responded, slightly colder now, "My daughter or Gawain sword, which do want?"

"Mash," Jaune answered almost instantly, even shocking himself as his face turned slightly red. He then looked up to see Lancelot with a sincere smile on his face.

"I just wanted to be sure. You're still young, but I could see a bit of Gawain's passion in you." He said before placing the sword behind his back, "With a bit more training, you could wield Excalibur Galatine, even as a shielder," Lancelot then walked over, placing his right hand on Jaune's left shoulder, "You're a good man as well, Jaune. My daughter is lucky to have met you."

"Thank you, Sir Lancelot," Jaune said as he smiled. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind, "Out of curiosity. What would you have done it I picked the sword?"

"Oh, I would have cut your head off with it." Lancelot bluntly responded, "Then burned the body so nobody would find you."

"Hahahaha, good one," Jaune said with an uneasy laugh, but Lancelot was not laughing. Instead, he glared down at the male shielder, his eyes had a similar red glare that pierced through his helmet like as a berserker, "Hahaha…please laugh." Jaune responded as his smile grew more uneasy. He then looked over to see Jeanne walking by, "Oh, a witness-I mean my sister!" He said before running over to the Saint of the Flag.

 _Jeanne_

"Oh, hi Jaune." Jeanne responded, seeing her brother gasping for air, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little nervous." Jaune said before clearing his though, his voice becoming calmer, "What about you? After the whole…you know."

"I'm…managing." Jeanne said with a sigh, "My alter has not been spotted yet, she might have left this kingdom entirely." She had a slight smile form on her face, "But I heard Professors Da Vinci and Dr. Roman are recovering well, they just have a meeting with the Headmaster." Jaune responded with a smile as well. However, he looked over to see Ruby and Weiss talking to Marie. The idol queen had a look of sadness as Jeanne looked over to them, "I was just talking with them about what happened to Astolfo." Jeanne said with regret in her voice before turning back to her brother, "With the loss, I offered to join Team France as its fourth member. It's the least I can do for Marie right now, so they don't fall behind."

"What did she say?" Jaune asked.

"I gave her time to think about it," Jeanne responded, "There is a lot of the things she has to do, people to talk with."

"That reminds me, I should find Edmond" Jaune said as he scratched the back of his head, "I was kind of cold the first time I meet him. And he did save you from… the point is, I need to apologize to him." Jaune then had a smile form back on his face, "I think I can tolerate you liking him now."

"…About that," Jeanne said as she broke eye contact, "Count and I talked about…what my alter said." She then looked her brother in the eyes with a small smile, "We agreed it would be better if we just stayed friends for now. Considering the chaos, it felt-"

"He dumped you!?" Jaune interrupted, "That prick!"

"No, I was not dumped, it was-" Jeanne responded, her face turning slightly red.

"Who does that delinquent think he is!?" Jaune interrupted again before turning around, "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" The male shielder than ran off with his sister going after him, her face growing considerably redder.

 _Weiss_

"Are you sure you'll be okay," Weiss asked Maire, "We can come with you to tell Astolfo's friends."

"It's okay, I'll have d'Eon and Sanson with me. Their town is on the opposite end of Apocrypha." Marie answered with a weak smile before turning to the silver eyed girl, "Ruby, thank you. Astolfo was never as happy until he met you."

"He was my friend too Marie," Ruby said before she and the idol queen hugged, "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect him."

"…Me too," Marie said as a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away before waving goodbye to the two Beacon students.

Ruby and Weiss waved back before going in the opposite direction. The silver girl hung her head low but raised it once she felt the heiress right hand patting her back, "You did the right thing, Ruby," Weiss confirmed for her leader, "It's never easy to deliver bad news."

"Thanks," Ruby responded.

"I was wondering," Weiss asked, "Did you bring her into your reality marble?"

"I told her Astolfo was already there. I don't know what would happen, it would make two copies of him. But I said I could take her if she wanted to see his smile again." Ruby said with a small smile, "But she declined, saying it would be too hard so soon after. Especially when she must deliver the body to his hometown. I told her the option was always open for her." The silver eyed girl then looked at the ground as they walked, "Weiss, I think I'm going to go back home for a little bit. I want to talk with my Dad in person…I want him to see her again."

"I think that's for the best. We all need a break after yesterday." The heiress responded, "Besides, Glynda told up the transfer program will be ending now because of the invasion. It frees up the rest of our break to do what we need to do."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Ruby said as her head shout up, "I need to talk with the headmaster about my wish."

"What are you wishing for-" Weiss was saying, but her team leader vanished in a flurry of roses.

The heiress sighed as she continued to walk down the hall. Eventually, she made her way back to the infirmary, entering one of the rooms. Inside, she found Nobu, her stomach bandaged and hat off, sit next to a sleeping Okita. The Sakura Saber laid in the bed, Nobu's hat placed on her chest, "Hey, Ice Queen." Nobu said, causing Weiss to sigh again, "Relax, I know your name is Weiss."

"How is she?" Weiss said as she sat across Nobu.

"They say she'll make a full recovery. Or, what passes for a full recover for Okita." The Grimm Archer responded, "Which makes me happy."

"And you?" The heiress added on.

Nobu placed her right hand on her stomach, "Well, they said that shot is going to leave one ugly looking scar. Pretty much ruining my summer body." She said with a sight giggle, "But I should be fine as well."

"You're the one who wanted me the shot through you," Weiss said with a giggle as well, "I can only think of one other person crazy enough to come up with that type of plan." She then looked over to Okita's body, "All that stuff you said about her, did you mean it?"

"Every word," Nobu responded.

"Are you going to tell her that?" Weiss asked.

"Nope." Nobu responded before looking at Okita, "Because when your best friends with someone, you don't need to say those things to one another." She then focused on her hat, smiling again, "It's the actions that speak louder than words anyway."

"Yeah," Weiss said as she leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, a smile on her face as well, "I can agree."

 _Pyrrha_

In the infirmary, Arjuna and Karna laid in adjacent beds. Hero of Charity looked in the distance to see Pyrrha talking with Mash on the other side of the door, causing a smile on his face. The Endowed Hero then turned to his brother, "You are lucky to have her," Arjuna spoke up.

"Yes," Karna said, the smile still on his face.

"She is a very powerful fighter," Arjuna added on, "And very attractive."

With those words, Karna realized something. he turned to see Arjuna looking at Pyrrha, the same smile on his face as Karna had, "…" Karna responded as his face slowly went deadpan, "…You and I will never get along."

"Yes," Arjuna responded, "We will always have something fight about."

Out of earshot of the two boys, Pyrrha continued to talk with Mash, "So they couldn't find her?" the red-haired warrior asked, "I mean, with those kinds of injuries."

"She is presumed dead," Mash responded with melancholy in her voice. However, a weak smile started to form on her face, "But while I lost my mom, I got my dad back." the shielder said before wiping away a tear from her face, "I just wish I could have gotten both back." Pyrrha then leaned in as the two hugged.

"If you ever need anything," Pyrrha offered.

"Thank you," Mash responded before letting her go, "But with all that happened, word is spreading fast about you." She said with the red-haired warrior having a look of confusion, "Pyrrha, you bent a divine weapon, without your own in hand."

"Yeah, I did," Pyrrha said with a smile of disbelief, taking out her class card, "After things calmed down a bit, I updated my class card. I couldn't believe it myself, but I have Divinity at Rank E now."

"That's amazing," Mash responded, "Normally, that's a skill that cannot be awakened like that."

"They're still trying to figure out how I did it. When I told Scathach, she mentioned it could have been because of my constant exposure to divine weapons lately." She said before a joyful smile appeared on her face, "But I liked what Vlad said, that it was the moment I realized my true potential."

"Not to go against my old master, but I would have to agree with Vlad here." The two turned to see Cu Chulainn walking towards them, "Good to see you two survived this invasion."

"Likewise," Pyrrha said as she noticed something behind the blue-haired lancer's back, "Are those-"

"Yep," Cu Chulainn said before reaching behind his back, pulling out Pyrrha's Milo and Akuno, "Scathach already had these remade, just in case the divine weapon proved too much for you." He said before handing Pyrrha back her original weapons, "But, she offered to remake your Gae Akuno."

"Thank you, but I relied too much on that weapon for my progression." Pyrrha said before she looked at her reflection in the shield, "I need to go back to my roots for a bit. To see how far I really have gone."

"Okay, suit yourself," Cu Chulainn said as he shrugged, turning around, "I need to go back to bed and recover." The blue haired lancer said as Mash and Pyrrha waved goodbye. The red-haired warrior then holstered her weapons, a smile of relief filling her face.

 _Nora_

A few rooms over in the infirmary, Ren laid in bed as he slowly opened his eyes. Upon doing so, his blurry vision focused to see someone sitting next to him. It the draconic faunus Kiyohime, her head resting near his. Ren smiled as he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. After he did so, Kiyohime slowly woke up, a smile on her face as she blushed, "Good Morning." Ren said.

"Good Morning," Kiyohime responded.

"Hmm, good morning." Suddenly, both Ren and Kiyohime looked at the foot of the bed. They discovered Tamamo Cat curled up into a ball at Ren's feet, her ears twitched as she yawned, "That was a wonderful nap." While Cat looked to see Ren with an uneasy smile, Kiyohime was fuming with blue flames of rage, "W-well, I should be going." Cat said before hopping out of bed and making a break for the door. As she shut it behind her, the fox faunus sighed in relief, "That was close, I almost ended up burnt like my sister."

"Hello," Suddenly, Cat looked over to see Nora and Fran walking towards her.

"Oh hey, it's you." Cat said before she pointed to the room she exited from, "Your teammate just woke up."

"Well, he's not my teammate anymore," Nora responded with Cat tilting her head in confusion, "I used my wish to switch teams with Kiyohime. That way, they don't have to say goodbye to each other when Team JNPR has to go back to Beacon." The orange-haired saber said before she put her left arm around Fran, "And I don't have to say goodbye to my best berserker friend." She then looked into the window the room, seeing Kiyohime and Ren holding hands, "I already told her about my wish, so she could be the one to tell him."

"Au," Fran said with a smile.

"Wow, that's really nice of you." Tamamo responded, "So, what is your title now?"

Nora then held her head high, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm Queen of the Castle!" She declared.

"Uh?" Cat responded, "What castle?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm the queen of it." The Queen of the Castle decreed.

"Aa," Fran cheered, "Ua."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Nora said to Fran before turning to back to Cat, "Professor Moriarty said his wish was to take Fran and me on a vacation to a tropical island!" Nora said before scratching the back of her head, "But we need a pair of swimsuits, can you help us shop for them?"

"Of course!" Cat said in excitement before the three walked down the halls, a smug look on her face, "You're smart to ask me, I have better taste in fashion than my sister."

 _Glynda_

Just another few rooms over, Altera started to wake up. She then to discover herself in an infirmary bed. But to her astonishment, the three other members of Team Extella were asleep next to the bed, each with a smile on their face, "You're finally up." Altera looked over to see Glynda speaking to her, typing on a tablet, "The rest of your team will be out of it for a while."

"What happened?" Altera said as she placed her right hand on her head, "My memory is really fuzzy."

"That is expected considering what you have been through," Glynda said as put the tablet away, "From the report Weiss Schnee gave me, your teammates all worked together to save you."

"That seems unlikely," Altera said in a deadpan voice.

"Maybe," Glynda said as she stood, "But before they passed out, they wanted to tell me you something." The professor from Beacon smiled as she looked at the King of Combat, "You should be the leader of Team Extella." She said with Altera having a look of confusion on her face, "In their words, it is because you're the only person who can stand their constant bickering." Altera then looked at Elizabeth, Nero, and Tamamo no Mae. Despite being asleep, each had a smile on their faces, causing a smile to form on Altera's. "One more thing, give this Elizabeth." Glynda said as she passed Altera a business card with a call number on it, "If she ever wants to have a concert in front of the Atlas military soldiers, she can speak with the general." The professor from beacon then adjusted her glasses, "He owes me a favor after some of his recent acts of character." She said with Altera nodding.

Glynda nodded back before exiting the room. Upon doing so, she noticed the headmaster of Beacon leaning against the opposite wall, "It seems like you got very attached to some students during this transfer program." Ozpin said with a grin as the two started walking down the hall, "It is good to see you again."

"Same," Glynda responded, "I'll have the next report submitted after I check in on a few things."

"No rush," Ozpin responded, but the smile on his face slowly faded, "However, I got a notification from Amber's condition. It appears she had a sudden relapse. The Fall Maiden's power has been transferred to someone else fully now." He said as she noticed Glynda remaining silent, but clenching her fists, "It is a heavy loss, she was a great huntress. Right now, I will handle planning our next move, okay?"

"Understood," Glynda responded, loosening her grip.

"On the lighter side, I spoke with your friend Medea," Ozpin said, the smile slowly returning to his face. Albeit a bit forced from the prior conversation, but genuine none the same.

"Oh, her group is recovering well then," Glynda inquired.

"Yes, but she was also concerned about you," Ozpin responded, his voice a mix of serious and calm nature, "I think it is for the best you finally take some vacation time. Medea offered you to join her, her husband, and stepson at their summer cottage."

"I do not think it would be wise for me to-" the professor from Beacon was saying up her headmaster interrupted.

"Medea said she'll invite Vlad," Ozpin said with a smirk, Glynda stopping her motion, "Whoever he is, I remember how you spoke veeerrrry highly of him in your reports." He then turned back, seeing Glynda trying to hide her face, "I think she realized the same thing I did."

"…I'll think about it," She said before turning around, "Let me just finish this report while I still have a level head," Glynda responded before walking away.

Ozpin had a slight smile, twirling his cane as he walked in the opposite direction, "Well, I definitely can't tell James about this one." He said to himself before concentrating, "Now, which ways to the headmaster's office again?"

 _Archer_

At one of the entrances to Chaldea, Archer and Kiritsugu watched as Cinder conversed with Neo and Ishtar. The two men stood next to the black vehicle. The red mantle hero watched as Cinder gave a small note to Neo. Rin then extended her right hand towards the Fall Maiden, who slightly smiled as she shook it, "Well, at least those two finally are getting along." Archer commented with a weak smile, placing his right hand on his bandaged abdomen.

"You should be resting," Kiritsugu responded, with his arms crossed, "It could worsen your condition." He said, but Archer was not paying him any minded. Suddenly, Kiritsugu sighed, "I still don't trust her, I don't think I ever will." He said as he looked at Cinder, "But, I understand why she did what she did." He then turned to Archer, "If it means helping you move on, I would do the same thing, no matter what it sacrificed from myself." He then noticed Cinder walking towards them, "I'll let you say goodbye."

Archer reminded quietly for Kiritsugu's first few steps away, then spoke up, "Thank you." He said with Kiritsugu pausing for a moment, then resumed his walking. Archer then looked over to see Cinder smirking at him, "So, this it."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is," Cinder responded, "I have to return to my boss to inform her of my… change in condition. Besides, I do not like staying around with the Atlas military close by." She then sighed as she looked down, "Pity how I could never learn to construct a reality marble."

"And a pity how you couldn't follow my rule of self-control," Archer responded with Cinder looking back at him, "BB may not have been Sakura, but she was still BB. Regardless of her origin, she didn't deserve that fate." He then slightly glared at Cinder, "And I warned you about stepping out of line like this again."

"You did," The Fall Maiden said with her eyes flaring as she smirked, "Now, what will you do-" Cinder was saying until interrupted by Archer leaning in, his lips locking with hers. Her eyes widened for a moment before both closings. Archer did the same, placing his right hand to support Cinder's back. She responded in kind to him, their bodies held close to one another.

 _Cinder_

After a few more seconds of passion, the two let go a one another. Each smiled as they looked at each other's eyes, "Goodbye Cinder." Archer said as he slowly let go of her.

"Goodbye," Cinder said as she did the same, "Shirou." She said with him counted to smile. The Fall Maiden them walked past the red mantle warrior as she stepped into the drive side of the vehicle. As she turned the key, the Fall Maiden looked back one last time back, seeing Shirou give one last wave. She responded in kind again before driving off. After she was out of sight of the Academy, the smile began to turn into a look of sorrow on her face, "That was cruel of him." She said with sadness in her voice, "I didn't expect this outcome to my plan."

"Falling in love with Shirou?" Suddenly, Cinder heard someone familiar talking from the back seat. She angled the rear-view mirror to discover Chloe sitting in the back seat, her hands behind her head as she smirked, "Nobody ever does."

"Why are you here?" Cinder responded, "You get how it will look if I turn around now."

"Then I guess you're stuck with me coming along," Chloe responded before moving up to shotgun seating.

"Shouldn't you be recovering?" Cinder asked as she focused on driving.

"Since Shirou was feeling better, I regained a little bit of my strength." Chloe responded, "What about you, I heard you took a pretty painful shot."

"The Fall's Maiden's aura is more powerful than I thought, speeding up my recovery," Cinder said before feeling a slight sting in her gut, "However, I don't see myself at full power again anytime soon."

"Then it's extra lucky you have me around now." Chloe said with Cinder looking at her with half-shut eyes, "Don't worry, I already cleared this with Irisviel. She thought it would better if you didn't travel alone anyway." The red mantle girl then pulled out a small envelope and handed it to Cinder, "She was too emotional to say goodbye in person, so she wanted me to hand you this."

Cinder took the envelope and opened. However, she did not discover a note. Rather, she tilted the envelope upside down to discover a gold banded ring inside. As she held the ring in her right hand, she looked to see an engraving on the inside, _Wishes can still come true_. Cinder then smiled again as she looked at the ring, "Thank you, Iri." Cinder said to herself before refocusing on road, "Chloe, you know what you are sacrificing by following me?"

"I don't have that much to begin with. The school life just isn't for me." Chloe responded as she kicked her feet up on the dashboard, "So, we going to see your boss?"

"Soon, and when we do, please don't point out the obvious about her looks." Cinder said before making a slight smile, "But first, I have to make a personal stop." She said with Chloe having a look of confusion.

 _Rin_

General Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked down Chaldea's halls, "First Ozpin, then this Zhuge Liang." He said before he sighed, "At least he relinquished the BB's body to me."

"He did because I said he could." The Atlas General heard someone call to him from behind. he turned to discover it was Ishtar, who was glaring at him with her arms crossed. To her right was Neo, who had a smirk on her face, "I guess that means he will uphold his part of the deal."

"What deal?" General Ironwood asked, "And who are you?"

"I now go by Ishtar, but I once went by Rin." She said as her gaze glared up at him with hate, "And I once was Sakura's sister."

"…Crap." General Ironwood responded, before putting his hands behind his back, clearing his throat, "Try to think of the technological breakthrough your sister has been a part of."

"I don't care about technology," Ishtar retorted.

"It could save thousands of lives," The Atlas General responded, his tone slightly enraged, "Even more if perfected." Slowly, his voice calmed as he spoke, "Nobody would have to die in vain anymore as your sister did-"

"Don't." Rin said as her glare intensified, "Don't you speak about my sister like that."

"Haven't you realized," General Ironwood responded, "We can bring her back through these androids."

"…BB wasn't Sakura." Rin responded, "She's gone, and nothing can bring my sister back. All that can be done now is to honor her memory as best I can." She then placed her hands on her hips as she looked up at the general, "Something you failed to do as soon as stole her diary."

General Ironwood sighed, "What do you want then? Her dairy returned to you?"

"That is one item on my list," Rin said as she crossed her arms again, "I also want you to suspend all research on this project of yours and transfer all of its assets to Chaldea's RnD team."

"You're joking?" General Ironwood responded, but Rin's face was unwavering, "And if I don't oblige?"

"I destroy your entire army with my Jabal Hamrin Breaker," Ishtar said before tiling her head to the left as she smiled, "That's my Noble Phantasm, since you're not really from this area." she then smirked as she looked at General Ironwood, "And trust me, of all this kingdom's Noble Phantasms, mine is the most devastating."

"You would have Atlas go two war with Apocrypha?" General Ironwood responded in shock and anger.

"You're not going to war with Apocrypha," Rin responded, a scowl in her face, "You're going to war with me." Ishtar declared with General Ironwood gritting his teeth, "If you really want to save thousands of lives, make the right choice this time." Rin then turned around as she started to walk away, "I will give you some time to think about this." She then stopped for a second before half turning around towards the Atlas General, "And don't try to run." She said before walking away.

Neo smirked as she looked at General Ironwood, waving goodbye as she caught up to Ishtar. The Atlas general was seething in rage as he turned around, resuming his walk down the halls of Chaldea, "I hate this place." He said before taking out a flask, drinking its contents in full.

Ishtar sighed as she turned the corner, then noticed Neo behind her. The pint-sized girl's head was tilted as she looked at Rin, "Oh you," Ishtar said, only slight resentment in her voice, "I'm still not happy what you did either." However, she sighed again, "But, you were just following orders from your boss." Suddenly, Rin had an idea, "Which is why I will be your boss now." She said with Neo having a look of confusion, changing the orientation of her eye color, "I already know what will happen to Cinder, so your team will have a missing leader. I'll take that role; I just need to reenlist here as a full student. Now, I just need to think of a team name." Rin said with Neo rolling her eyes. Suddenly, Ishtar remembered something else, "Wait, didn't you have something delivered to your room?" She reminded Neo, who had a look of realization for running off. Rin looked on with a slight smile, still trying to think of a team name.

 _Neo_

Neo entered her room with slight haste, seeing a medium-sized box on her bed. She examined it to see no return address but knew only one other person knows she is here. She opened the box to find a letter on top, dated just under two weeks ago:

 _Dear Neo,_

 _Things have been a little crazy lately. So much that I think I need to lay low for a bit. Heh, I guess I could think of this as my vacation time. And if boss lady askes about me, just don't say a word._

Neo read as she pouted, but then calmed down as she continued.

 _Neo, I've dealt with a lot of brats lately, but you're a good kid. Boss lady mentioned how you found a nice guy; someone you really like. You deserved better than what I can offer. You don't need me anymore to feel happy. So, this is goodbye._

Suddenly, Neo gripped the note tighter as tears formed in her eyes, but she continued to read.

 _Don't worry about me, I always find a way to survive in the end. I know you'll be fine. As a farewell present, I bought you something._

Neo then looked over to see the rest of the box, seeing something cover-up by some newspaper.

 _My other one got shot, so I needed to buy a replacement. I figured I would buy one for you as well. Hope it gets to you okay…. take care._

 _Roman_

Neo closed her eyes as she hugged the letter. She then opened her eyes, put the letter down, and started moving the newspaper from the box. Once she saw its contents, her eyes widened, the orientation of the iris color switching.

A few seconds later, Neo walked out of the room. Her head held high as a black bowler hat with a red band was on it. She smugly walked with her umbrella like a cane as she made her way down the hall, a joyful smile on her face as she went to deliver a note.

 _Mercury_

In the infirmary a few rooms over, Kirei laid in his bed. Standing across from him Mercury, holding a plastic bag with something inside. The head of the church turned to his left to see Caren; whose eyes were tired as she worked on a tablet, "It's astonishing," She said while she worked, "Your right arm and left leg are completely crippled. Our medicine isn't advanced enough to heal you."

"It would appear so," Kirei said before turning to Mercury, "Your father's combat style was deadlier than I thought."

"I'm so sorry you had to fight him," Mercury responded, "You should know he's gone for good now."

"I heard, you defended your sister well," Kirei said with Mercury realizing something.

"You knew!?" Mercury responded.

"It is part of why I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible upon your arrival." Kirei retorted with a smirk, "It was a deal I made with your mother, should you ever return to Apocrypha."

"My Mother?" Mercury said he lowered his head, "It's been so long, I can't even remember her face anymore."

"Should you ever return, she wanted to make sure you were freed from your father's torment." Kirei said, "And that you would have a better life than the one he had planned for you." He said with mercury having an idea, "What is it?"

"I remembered something else," Mercury said before a smile formed on his face, "Since I won that tournament, I can get anything I want, right?"

"Within reason." Kirei corrected.

"I want my team to be admitted into Chaldea as full-fledged students, not just transfers anymore." Mercury responded, a lot of determination on his face, "Our backgrounds scrubbed clean, this being a fresh start for all of us."

Kirei gave a slight chuckle as replied, "I did just say within reason." He smiled as he continued, "Still, the Church can provide you and your friends with this type of protection." Kirei said with a look of joy filling Mercury's eyes, something the grey-haired assassin had not felt in a long time, "Now, what of your title?"

"I don't really care if people call me King, that's not my style," Mercury said before walking, towards the exit. Suddenly, he stopped as he had an idea, "But rather than the that type of title, could I be made a guardian instead?" He said before turning back, "For Jack and Nursery Rhyme, is that okay?"

"It's not conventional but is allowed." Caren responded, "And thanks to my wish, I can make sure yours are granted even sooner." She said with him smiling before exiting the room. A few seconds later, Caren sat down in a chair as she sighed, "I doubt that boy never thought of a title and wish before, thinking he would never win Grand Order." She said before turning to Kirei, "If I could, I would wish for you to be healed…Dad."

"You have already used your wish anyway. I know you will make a fine advisor to the headmaster," Kirei responded, "As for my position, I already have a worthy successor to be new Head of the Church. With the state I am in now, I can at least get some rest." He then looked up to see Caren silent, but tears rolling down her cheeks. Kirei then reached out his left hand, pulling his daughter close as they hugged.

 _Emerald_

Mercury ran down the halls before he found the green-haired thief, "Hey, I've got some good news." He said before noticing the look of sadness in her eyes, "What's wrong?"

"…Cinder left us." Emerald said as she held a paper note, "She said she has to return to her boss, now acquiring the full Fall Maiden's power."

"W-what? How did she do that?" Mercury said in shook, "What about her plan back in Vale, her plan here?"

"As she said, she already got what she wanted." Emerald responded, looking over to see anger fill Mercury's eyes, "I know you think she's abandoning us, but that's not how this note reads." The green-haired thief sad as a soft smile formed on her face, "I think she realized how much we enjoyed having normal lives for once. She's letting us keep that feeling for a bit longer." She said with the anger slowly fading from Mercury's eyes at that realization. But he then noticed tears forming in Emerald's eyes, "Still, I never even got to say goodbye…or even thank her."

"Yeah…" Mercury said before he realized something, "What about the mute?"

"Neo's still here, she just gave me the note before spotting Jekyll and ran to him." Emerald responded with a slight giggle in her voice, "I guess she really wants to stay because of that boy."

Mercury had a small chuckle as well. However, he then noticed Emerald freeze up as Robin Hood turned the corner. While he did not notice them yet, Mercury smirked at an idea, "Hey Robin!" he called out with Emerald turning red. Robin then turned towards the two, Mercury was already gone in a flash of speed.

"Oh Emerald," Robin said with a smile, "I was looking for you."

"Y-you were!?" Emerald responded.

"Yeah, I heard from Drake about your mission to flank the Grimm. How you helped eliminate the gigantic monster of the lake." He said before having a slight chuckle, "I guess we're not going to be having fish at this school for a while."

"Oh, what a shame," Emerald responded, "Still, it was more of Drake that killed the thing." she then looked down at her hands shanking, grabbing each other to try and stop it, "I-I was told by the headmaster that there were certain things I could not tell others about regarding the mission." She then looked up at Robin, "But the thing I can talk about, can we talk about then over something to eat?"

"You mean like a date?" Robin Hood said with Emerald's mind going blank for a second, then she nodded. He then smiled as he looked at her, "I'd thought you'd never ask." Said before taking her right hand, causing her to blush as a smile formed on her face.

In the distance around a corner, Mercury watched as the two walked off holding hands. From behind, he heard a familiar voice, "Mercury!" He turned to see it was Jack, her left leg braced as she walked with a crutch. Next to her were Ushiwakamaru and Atalanta, "We found you!" Jack said as he knelt to her level, hugging him.

"Good to see you kid," Mercury said before looking at her broken left leg, "But you should be resting right now, not trying to walk on that leg."

"We still wanted to see you again," Jack said as her eyes filled with sadness, "We didn't know if you were leaving too."

"Don't worry," Mercury responded as he patted her head, "I'll be sticking around here for a while."

"I could use the help in taking care of Jack and Rhyme," Atalanta responded.

"It will make Kato happy too." Ushi said with a smile.

"I don't want that girl around Jack anymore." The lioness faunus responded, "She is taking measurements of her leg, it's creeping me out."

"She's not going to-" Mercury asked Ushi in a panic before his sister corrected.

"Oh no, not that," Ushi said before breaking eye contact, "She said only if you two approve of it."

"She's not giving Jack a prosthetic leg!" Mercury and Atalanta said at the same time.

"But we want to be like you." Jack said to Mercury, "Your legs make you so cool."

"Really!?" He said before smiling, but then looked over to see Atalanta glaring at him, "Well, we can discuss it when you stop growing, otherwise the leg with constantly have to be replaced." He said with Atalanta nodding.

"Which would make Kato even happier," Ushi said under her breath before she noticed the bag Mercury was carrying, "What's that?"

"Oh, for you," Mercury said as he gave her the bag.

"Thank you," The long-haired samurai said before opening the bag. However, she had a look of confusion at its contents. She pulled out a green t-shirt with the word _quick_ on the front. In looking in the bag, she saw a pair of black shorts at the bottom, "Clothes?"

"Yeah, you need to wear more of the those." Mercury said as he pointed to Ushi's reveling combat attire, "Now that I know you're my sister, you cannot wear just that around me anymore." She said before picking Jack up, carrying her as they walked away, "Let's go Jack, I'll make you something to eat. I also have some good news to tell you."

"Yea!" Jack cheered.

Ushi had a look of confusion as she turned to Atalanta, "What's wrong with my outfit?" She said with Atalanta looking back at her with eyes half open. Still, the two then turned to watch Mercury carrying Jack, smiling as they saw him being happy.

 _Zhuge Liang_

A few moments later, in the headmaster's office, Zhuge Liang sat at his desk across. With a stern glare, he looked at a bandaged Dr. Roman and DaVinci, "You realized the grave error you have made."

"Yes," Dr. Roman responded, his body slightly recoiling in pain from speaking.

"Regardless of the intentions and the fact that it did aid Sherlock in uncovering the truth," The headmaster of Chaldea said with his gaze narrowing, "You created another alter."

"Yes," DaVinci said, a look of sorrow in her eyes, "I take it we are both fired now."

"Yes…but the situation has changed," Zhuge Liang said with the two looking at him in confusion, noticing him taking out a photo. As he slid it across the table, Dr. Roman and DaVinci the image the humanoid Grimm girl, "That is Serenity, a girl who cannot touch anyone because of her deadly poison." Zhuge Liang said before leaning in as he spoke to the two, "Fix that, because she should not have this kind of fate."

"Understood." Both Dr. Roman and DaVinci said with a nod. The two then got up out their seats, hobbling out of the room.

Zhuge Liang sighed before turning around in his seat, looking out into the ravaged land of Apocrypha. He continued to gaze out the window for a few minutes, then noticed the Headmaster of Beacon had let himself in, "Not exactly a pretty sight, but no war ground ever is." Ozpin said before a small smile formed on his face, "Still, casualties could have been worse, and citizens still have a home to return to."

"I watched one of my students die in front of my eyes," Zhuge Liang responded, "As well as entire cities were destroyed in this war."

Ozpin turned to the Headmaster of Chaldea, "Regardless of what is going through your head right now, you made the right choices." His grip on his cane tightening, "I don't think I would do better in your shoes." Zhuge Liang then looked up at Ozpin, seeing the sorrow in the headmaster from Beacon's eyes. Suddenly, the two then heard a knocking on the door, "Well, you have another visitor." He said as Ruby Rose opened the door.

 _Ruby_

"Oh, Headmaster Ozpin!" Ruby said in shock, "When did you get here?"

"The General was kind enough to give me a ride on his way to aid with the invasion," Ozpin responded, a smile forming on his face, "But enough about me, I heard of your accomplishments." He then turned over to Zhuge Liang, "She is owed a wish, yes?"

"How did you-" Zhuge Liang responded.

"I ran into the man called Iskandar in the halls." Ozpin responded before turning back to Ruby, "He spoke very highly of you, as well as your victory in Grand Order."

"Well, I mean," Ruby said as her face turned red, her right hand scratching the back of her head, "It was only a technicality that I won."

"A victory none the less. Plus, the Archer of the round is nowhere to be found. So, you are declared the winner of Round Four of Grand Order." Zhuge Liang answered before turning to Ozpin, "If I know Iskandar, he already told you about his wish."

"Conquest in Vale, to help with our kingdoms' Grimm problem." Ozpin responded with Zhuge Liang and Ruby nodding, knowing that was what the King of Conquerors would want, "Consider that man's charisma, I couldn't say no." The headmaster of Beacon said before rubbing his back, "Still, I think I may need to see a chiropractor when I return to Vale."

"That just leaves you, Ruby Rose," Zhuge Liang continued, "The other winners of Grand Order have made their wishes." He said before leaning back in his chair, "Now then, what do you want to wish for."

"I wish…" Ruby said before her eyes filled with determination, "I wish Apocrypha and Vale can work together for a better future for Remnant. That if an event like this were to happen again in one the kingdoms, the other would come to help without hesitation. Both working together to stop the Grimm threat. Oh, and Chaldea students could participate in the Vytal Festival."

"…That is a very complex wish." Zhuge Liang responded as he took a second to ponder, "May I ask why such a claim came to mind."

"Well," Ruby said while looking down, "Someone told me that he wanted to the opposite of all the horrible things in this world, to balance things out. It's what made him special." She said as she cupped her hands, "But now that he's gone, I going to take on that role for myself. However, I don't want to be the only one who's happy, I want to change the world so that Remnant won't be a grim place anymore. And I think the world would be a lot better if more people can get along, like friends." She then looked up at the two headmasters, "So please, can I have this wish?"

Zhuge Liang then turned Ozpin, who gave him a small smile and nod. The headmaster of Chaldea then looked back to Ruby, the similar smile on his face, "Okay Ruby, if that is your wish." He said with Ruby's silver eyes lighting up with joy, "Now, what of your title?"

"Oh, that one is a little complex for me." Ruby responded with the two headmasters tilting their heads in confusion, "I don't want it to take effect right away." She said in a somewhat nervous voice, "But for my title…could I go with…Summer Rose?"

"Your Mother's name?" Ozpin asked with Ruby nodding.

"It would be kind of confusion if I took that title up right now." Ruby added on, "Still, after I graduate Vale and have had a few more adventures under my belt. Before I build a name for myself, I want people to know my mom's name again." She said with a sweet smile on her face, "She was taken away before her time, I want to live the life that she lost. Then, once I've done that, I can back to being Ruby Rose again." She said before rubbing the back of her head again, a giggle in her voice, "Like I said, kind of complex."

"No, I understand completely," Zhuge Liang responded a smile on his face.

"I think that's what Summer would want for you," Ozpin added on, a similar smile on his face. Ruby made a slight nod, a tear forming in the corner of her sliver eye.

 _Vytal Festival_

A month later in Vale, the second semifinal battle of the Vytal Festival tournament was underway and nearing its end. On one end stood Enkidu, who fired the golden chains. The opponent avoided the chains was Pyrrha, who remained untouchable as she dodged the weapons. As the ambiguous lancer gritted teeth in anger at the inability to land a blow, Enkidu gasped at the realized of the chain becoming tangled. At that moment, Pyrrha dashed forwards, her shield raised as she bashed into her opponent full force. Enkidu was flung out of the arena, landing in the out of bounds with a loud buzzard.

As Enkidu started to regain focus, Pyrrha offered her hand to the ambiguous lancer. Enkidu had a defeated smile while accepting the offer, "Not bad, you got me there at the end." Enkidu said with Pyrrha smile. The two then noticed the winner of the prior semifinal round, the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh entered the arena wearing a black leather trench coat and pants, his hair still slicked back, "Well, you know who I am rooting for." Enkidu said before turning back to Pyrrha, "But good luck."

Pyrrha nodded before reentering the arena, the crowd cheered as Gilgamesh basked in the glory, "Grand Order or The Vytal Festival, a king should be the one to win." He said as Pyrrha reposed with her weapons, "I was looking forward to Enkidu and I showing the world a true battle." Gilgamesh said before revealing his right arm, no made of metallic gold with red lining. As he clenched his right fist, a red aura began to pulsate around it, "But I am okay with humiliating you again, Mongrel." The King of Heroes declared before laughing. Pyrrha had maintained her form for battle, a look of determination in her eyes, and a smile on her face.

 _Ella and Landon_

The sun rose over a small shop was in the less lived-in area of Mistral. The painted sign was faded but still read the title, _The Old Glass Shoe_. Inside, the racks were full of colorful outfits of varying designs. The needling of each done on a professional level, each one made different than the last. The walls showcased shoes for young and old, each made strong for all forms of weather. Despite the quality of the apparel, dust still slightly covered the products.

At the counter cleaning was a woman with long black hair, wearing a simple red dress. Her hair ran down to her back, but the roots on her head showing a grey color. Her right eye was a pale brown, but her bangs covered the left side of her face. Her name was Ella

The woman sighed before hearing the back door open. She looked to see a man struggling to carry a stack of six shoeboxes with his right hand. His left hand hung limply to the side. With one misstep, the tower of boxed fell onto the floor. Getting a better look at the man revealed his white shirt under a leather apron. The apron was affixed with tools, as well as the wear and tear of years of working. His head was bald and wrinkled, showing his age. But his bright orange iris eyes still have a level of youth to them. His name was Landon

As Landon knelt to try to pick up the boxes, Ella walked over. She help as best she could, but her bangs parted to reveal her damaged face. A long scar ran down her left eye to her left cheek, the eyeball was long since gone. Ella tried to place her hair over her injury with her left hand, but a look of sorrow sill filled her right eye. Landon looked at her sadness, trying to move his left hand to place on her shoulder. However, the muscles in that arm have not moved since being severed at the nerve. Instead, Landon moved his right hand to hers, causing Ella to look at his warm smile forming on his face. She smiled in response, giving him a slight nod.

Suddenly, they heard a knocking on the front door. They quickly picked up the boxes and placed them on the counter, both moving to see who it was. As Landon opened to door, his eyes widened in shock. Ella placed her right hand on her mouth, tears rolling down her right eyes. There stood Cinder, a soft smile on her face at the two, "Hi Mom," She said to Ella before turning to Landon, "Dad," Cinder then looked at address both of them, "I know I usually send notes, but I wanted to see you to for a change." Cinder said as a small tear started to roll down her face. Out of sight, Chloe watched as the two parents hugged their daughter. The red mantle girl smiled as she saw the Fall Maiden hug them back.

 _Lobo_

All the way in Patch, a postman in a blue uniform knocked on the door to a log cabin. After a few seconds, a hunter with short blond hair opened the door, "Are you Taiyang Xiao Long?"

"Yeah," the blond hunter responded.

"Sign here." The postman said as he handed Taiyang a tablet and stylist.

"I didn't order anything," Taiyang said while he signed, then passed it back to the postman. The blond hunter now noticed the massive wooden crate to the right of the door, the size almost half that of his living room, "Who sent me this-" Taiyang tried to ask the postman, but he was already gone.

Taiyang then noticed a letter attached to crate. As he pulled it off the box, the crate began to fold out, reveling Lobo sitting upright. The blond hunter had a look of shock before noticing the massive Greywolf was calm. Taiyang the relooked at the letter, his eyes widening as he knew who sent it:

 _Dear Dad,_

 _I am coming home soon, there is something I need to tell you. Don't worry, I'm not in any trouble, I just have something you need to see. I think it will make you happy. But first, I wanted you to meet Lobo! I know you have a lot of questions right now, but he is a friendly dog. Please make sure he plays nice with Zwei._

 _Love Ruby._

"Dang it Ruby, this almost gave me a heart attack," Taiyang said as he shook his head, but a smile returned to his face, "Still, I wonder what she wants to show me?" he then heard Lobo's breath on the back of his neck. Taiyang then looked up at the massive Greywolf, "Okay Lobo, a couple of ground rules here." Taiyang said in a somewhat more confident voice, "Despite your size, I'm The Big Dog around here. So, do not eat me." He said with Lobo remaining unfazed. Suddenly, a small black and white corgi walked near Taiyang's feet, his collar reading 'Zwei' on it. "And do not eat him either."

"Arf!" Zwei said with a smile on his dog face, Lobo looking down on him.

 _Later that night._

With Zwei on his back, Lobo ran through the wilderness. The two animals were panting in the joy of freedom. For the first time in a while, Lobo had a look of happiness in his eyes as he traversed this new land to him. He then stopped for a second, howling at the shattered moon, "Ooowhooo!"

"Oooowhooooo!" Zwei added on, the smile remaining, "Arf!"

 **AN: That's it, the end of Fates Collide. This has been a story I have been writing almost weekly for the last ten months. It has been a blast to write the whole way through and I was truly shocked when I found at a Tv Tropes page was made for this story. That motivated me, as well as the support of reviewers, to keep going to the very end. I really liked that I could make such a story and wanted to thank everyone that read it all the way through my terrible grammar skills. Doing this story has given me a bit more apparition for both series. I commend Typemoon for balancing have these characters in the Fate franchises. While I do chastise a lot of RWBY's writing, I understand a bit more now how hard that process is, (I may never watch the series directly again, but I am reading the official manga and am enjoying it a lot). For this last Author's Note, I wanted to go over my refection of everything. You are free not to read this, the story is over. This is just me reflecting on the journey.**

 **I had a lot of fun with the characters here, mixing the two series in creative ways was entertaining. Going down each one would take too long, but I'll focus on the Rwby side. Ruby was great to make a rider and give her Lobo. I don't regret changing her silver eye power in this series, as the reality marble she has led to a lot of complex ideas for the character to deal with. Weiss was interesting to write for her leaning to summon in this series, albeit with weird reasoning attached. Her rivalry with Nobu was one of the best parts of both characters. Blake was the one I worked least with, but I still liked her general focus. She is just the hardest of the four to write because of her mindset in this type of series. Yang was awesome to show her interacting with everyone as the cool girl. The friendship with Mordred and connection she had with Gil (Who become basically DMCV Nero at the end here) was something I had a lot of fun building up. Jaune…is still the one I get comments about his class card stats. However, his character was fun to write here with the Jeanne being his sister and the crush he has on Mash. Making his Alter was one of the best moments of this story, with what I call this series' best fight. Nora was awesome to give a twist on her relationship with Ren for this story. Her development is frontloaded a lot here but was still satisfying. And her relationship with Fran was one of my favorites to do for dialogue. Ren doesn't do much here, other than Kiyohime. I did like that couple and think she deserves a nice man like him in her life. Pyrrha was a treat to give a character arc about herself. Regarding the ending here, I will leave it up to the reader to decide who would be the winner of the Vytal Festival. Glynda was great to write. She started out as just 'go from Point A to Point B,' Lady. But once she started fighting and interacting with more characters, I really liked her personality here.**

 **Now to the rwby villains, who were not villains in this story. Cinder interacting with Archer and his family was always fun to do, I loved the way they bonded over such a short time. (Also, despite what cannon may say in the now or future, I gave Cinder's parents the names Ella and Landon. Ella Fall because of the joke about that being Cinder's original last name. And Landon Fall, sounding like London, going with the 'London bridges falling down' song. Both are dumb, but I think are nice names. And that part of this chapter does bring a tear to my eye). Emerald was sweet having her crush on Robin and become attached to people. Her friendship with Mercury was one of my favorites to show how close they become over time. Speaking of Mercury, if you were to tell me that he would be one of the best-written characters in this story at the start, I would not have believed you. But between his caring for Jack, his past with his father, and him being the brother of Ushi. It made him so sympathetic and somebody I wanted to see get a good ending, (which now that I realized. Because of his wish, does that make Jack the Ripper now…Jack Black?). Regardless, I took a lot of risks with him, and they paid off in the end. I also wanted to give a special mention to Salem, who was a joy to write the way I did here. And Neo got a hat, that's all I need to say.**

 **Some other details I wanted to talk about this story. I had very little idea's that weren't put into the story in some way. The only thing that was cut was more to do with the humanoid Grimm, with Kotomine and Bazett originally finding them all alive at the start and negotiating with them. But I changed it to show the deadly nature of Marcus in this series, and the conversations didn't go anywhere anyway. Some of the cut characters are noted in the Tv Tropes page, others from the staff list were only mentioned in passing or never even showed up due to timing. Overall, I think there might have been too many characters in this story and a few I could have cut. If I'm being critical on myself for its fault, I would say the worst written character here was BB. I did have her more of a tool of the plot than an actual character, and I know that her death lead to more debates with reviewers than I wanted out of this story. Of the fate character, she is the one I would say I did the most injustice for in writing and I do apologize for that. On the rwby side of that argument, I would say Sun and Ironwood were a bit meaner than I intended when writing them. I think I overestimated their reactions to the situations here, which made their actions the most OOC out of everyone. The worst written section of my story, the first half of the third round of Grand Order would be my pick. Those fights were the most forgettable to me, even Yang vs Achilles I felt I overhyped myself on it. However, I think the second half was much better for the story in general. And as far as the weakest aspect of this story, I would say the actual villains. Some of the alters were great, but the other half were not given as mush of a presence to be taken seriously. I still maintain that most of these fights were not esay wins from the heroes' perspective, but I can see how they would read as such from an outside perspective. Most of their motivations are one-note or just 'hate the original self' which I could see getting old fast. All of that is just what I think about my work, I would love to here your perspective. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you want me to improve, what you would like to see done if I do a sequel, (Which will be discussed more in the bonus chapter). I may not always respond, but I do take the time to read all reviews I get and responded back with my best answer if I can. Again, thank you all for reading Fates Collide.**

 **Now, while I'm listing this story as complete, I did say I would do one more bonus chapter. This is a section I couldn't fit in the main story, but I don't want to get rid of. This story started in-between volume one and two and ends with a version of volume three were an invasion never happened in Vale. However, it does leave out what happened to the end of volume two. That's what the bonus chapter will cover. As a slight preview of the setup, it is about Yang and Cleo, hanging out with friends in Vale, when they order noodles with a very interesting deliverywoman telling them the story. It will tie up some other loose ends left from this chapter, have a couple of character references, and show off a pretty cool battle.** **That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the bonus chapter.**


	86. Bonus Chapter - Eye for an Eye

**AN: Hey everyone, I have the bonus chapter here. Thank you all for the nice words on the final chapter. It really meant a lot that people liked the story I wrote. Now, we have a bonus chapter. This is a section of the story I want to add in for a while, but it never fit anywhere with what I had planned. So, I decided to make it like an anime OVA type of chapter to explain a few details, give a bit of closure, and set up some things that could happen in the sequel. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought or if you have any suggestions, and have a nice day.**

 **Bonus Chapter – Eye for an Eye**

Inside Team RWBY's room at Beacon, Yang hosted for some of her friends from Chaldea. She had just closed on her scroll before walking over to Cleo, "Okay the food should be coming any minute now." The blond berserker said before hearing a hissing sound. The two then looked over to see Blake on Ruby's top bunk glaring down at Nitocris, who sat on Blake's bed. Sparks of rivalry collided between the two faunus, each remaining unwavering, "Yeah, I should have seen that coming." Yang said to herself before looking back up at Cleo, "I know the rest of my team and Mordred couldn't make it, but did you invite anyone else to our little girls' night?"

"Well, Tomoe said she couldn't come." Cleo said with a smirk forming, "She said she wanted to school this blue-haired dork who thought he was good at games. Her words, not mine."

"That reminds me," Yang said before she looked up at her teammate, "Blake, have you seen Sun around."

"No, I haven't." Blake responded, but did not break eye contact with Nitocris, "I asked Velvet and she said he left Vale a while ago. Something about him needing to reevaluate his life by traveling with his aunt for a while. When she asked where he was going, he just said 'West' and left."

"Yikes, maybe I hit him a bit too hard," Yang said under her breath, with Blake looking back at her in confusion.

"I wanted to invite Suzuka, but she was busy also." Nitocris added on, "Said something about tea with her new BFF, then I saw her walking off with a girl wearing sunglasses and a beret."

"I think I know who you're talking about there." Yang said before sighing, "Well, it looks like it's just us then." She said before hearing a knocking on the door, "Oh well, more noodles for us."

"Did you order mine with-" Blake spoke up.

"Yes," Yang responded.

"And mine with-" Nitocris added on.

"I made sure," Cleo responded as the two faunus smiled, but then resumed glaring at each other again. The snake-haired queen put her hand on the nob as Yang reached into her back pocket to pay. As Cleo opened the door, her eyes widened at the delivery woman.

There stood Miyamoto Musashi, the other member of Cleo's team. The one who found herself in Vale without a way to get back for months. Her outfit now was far different than what Cleo had last seen her in. Musashi now wore jeans and running shoes, as well as a large backpack. She had a red t-shirt and hat with the branding of the noodle company Yang had ordered from. On the right side of her face was an eyepatch with the hints of a scar running down her cheek, "I got your noodles from A Simple Wok," Musashi said before realizing her teammate, "Oh hey Cleo."

"Musashi!?" Cleo said before she hugged her teammate while Yang held the money in confusion, "Yang this is my other teammate." She turned to her.

"The one you said was stuck in Vale," Yang responded.

"Yep, been here for the last few months now." Musashi said before she had a sudden realization, "Man, I missed so many classes."

"Why are you working for that noodle company?" Nitocris added.

"Moreover, how did even get to Vale in the first place?" Blake said as she jumped off the bunk bed.

"Well, it would take too long to explain those." Musashi said as she took out her scroll, "And I have some more deliveries to do." She then reached into her backpack and pulled out five massive bowls of noodles: three plain, one with extra tuna, one with extra beef. She then took the money out of Yang's hand, "Thanks for the tip." The deliverywoman said before walking away.

"Wait!" Cleo said before grabbing Musashi's right wrist, "What happened to your eye?" she said with Musashi stopping, "I haven't seen you in forever, now I learn that you lost depth perception. What happened?"

"Oh that," Musashi responded with a slight giggle, "It's a long story also."

Yang then walked over with a smile, holding one of the bowls of noodles, "Well, you can have our extra bowl if you tell us." She said with Musashi turning around with a smile.

"I guess I have some time," Musashi said while walking towards Yang, taking the bowl out of her hand, and reentering the room. Yang turned to Cleo with a smirk as the two went back in the room as well, closing the door behind them.

After the five girls were situated with their noodles, Yang spoke up, "So, how did it happen?"

Musashi slurped her noodles before responding, "Well, not long after I started doing delivery jobs, I went to this place called The Club." She said with Yang's attention heightening, "I overheard a lot of scummy conversation as I brought the food to the bartender. Including one about the White Fang." She said with Blake now listening in more, "From what I heard, after a man named Roman Something-wick left Vale, a high leader of the White Fang took his place."

"What was his name?" Blake said with sorrow in her voice, the others looking at her in slight worry.

"Well, that's getting a little ahead out ourselves." Musashi responded, "You see, I overheard a plan to flood Vale with Grimm. The White Fang would use the subway system of an old underground city, load a train full of explosives, and BOOM!" She said before eating more of her noodles, "Needless to say, I wasn't going to let that happen."

 _Musashi_

On a night that had long since passed. Just on the outside border of Vale in a city marked for Grimm extermination, laid an underground city in ruins. At the far end near the train station, numerous White Fang grunts loaded crates of weapon and dust onto the vehicle. However, one grunt noticed someone walking towards them in the distance, someone in a blue and red gi with minimal body armor. She held a sheathed Katana on each side of her waist. A large straw hat covered the identity of the individual as she walked closer. As the one grunt alerted the other, the whole militia gathered in front of her, each with a rifle aimed at the ready, "Stop!" One of the grunts shouted with the swordswoman obliging, "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to make an offer," The swordswoman spoke up, her voice calm and collective, "Leave in good health, abandoning this invasion. Or leave in agony, if you're lucky." She said with some of the grunts giggling. Soon more joined in as the laughs echoed in the underground city, "…Maybe I wasn't clear." the swordswoman said before taking another step.

Suddenly, all the grunts stopped laughing as they readied their weapon. emerging from the crowd was a larger White Fang member, a lieutenant, wielding a massive chainsaw, "You threaten us, Human?" The Lieutenant said before revving his chainsaw, "I will kill you personally then."

"Nobody has to die here," The swordswoman said before pinching the front edge of her straw hat, "But if that is your choice, I've warned you." Suddenly, she quickly removed her hat and tossed it like a frisbee at the lieutenant, revealing herself to them as Musashi.

The lieutenant made a downwards slash with his chainsaw, cutting the hat in half. However, he gasped as Musashi was right in front of him, kneeing the center of the mask, and knocking him a few feet away. After the lieutenant stumbled a bit before recovering, he noticed the swordswoman had already drawn her two katanas, one longer than the other, "KILL HER!" The lieutenant ordered as the White Fang Grunts opened fire.

Musashi avoided the hail of rifle fire, dashing towards a section of the grunts. Before one could empty their clip, the swordswoman cut the gun down the middle. She then kicked him into other soldiers. A foot away, another grunt tried to shoot Musashi in the head, but the bullet bounced off the blade as she blocked. The grunt then gasped in fear as Musashi turned to him with eyes of death. She then slashed across his chest, cutting the rifle in half, and leaving a gash on the man's body. Another grunt rushed the swordswoman from behind. However, without looking, Musashi stabbed his left foot with the katana. She then spin-kicked him into another section of grunts before dodging more bullets.

"What is she?" One of the grunts said as they backed up in fear. Suddenly, he turned to see one of their stolen Atlas paladins, a smile forming on his face as he ran to it. Musashi continued her wielding down of the White Fang forces. However, she turned to see one the paladin armor running towards her. The grunt laughed as he fired ballistic missiles towards the swordswoman, but Musashi remained unimpressed. She rushed towards the missiles, jumping on then as she closed the distance. The missiles then redirected towards the crowd of grunts, sending them flying as they contacted with the ground. Once close enough, Musashi leaped on the paladin's face, slashing multiple times. As the chunks of metal fell off, they revealed the grunt looking up at the swordswoman with studded silence. She pulled him out of the cockpit before stabbing the control panel, causing many red lights to flash. As Musashi leaped off the paladin, it began to spark before exploding into scrap metal. Back on the ground, Musashi bashed the mask of the White Fang grunt with the bottom end of her lefthanded katana. She then turned to see, the lieutenant walking towards her, revving his chainsaw.

A few seconds later, the door to one of the train carts slid open to a man walking out. He looked over to see his lieutenant gasping for air, multiple cuts over his body, but Musashi remained undamaged. As his form wavered, the swordswoman rushed in. once within range, the lieutenant reached his right hand the grab her face, "Got you-AAAAA!" The lieutenant said in earlier celebration, but Musashi stabbed through his hand with her right katana. She then mover her right hand down as raised her left knee to his elbow, breaking his right arm. Musashi pulled out her sword before spin kicking again, this time into the lieutenant's head. In mid hit, she changed the position of her foot to make it an axel kick, smashing the lieutenant's head into the ground before the rest of his body could touch it.

Suddenly, Musashi heard a gunshot fired towards them, one from a different type of weapon. She turned to see a man in a fully black long coat over a red shirt. A red rose emblem was seen across his left shoulder and back. His hair was a spiked black and blood red, with a set of protruding bull horns mixed in. Aimed at the sky was a black sheath with the hit of smoke fuming from the opening. In his right hand was a katana made with red metal. The grunts all lowered their weapons, each looking at his Grimm mask. The lieutenant turned his head to see the man walking towards Musashi, "Adam…" the lieutenant said before passing out.

"So, you're the White Fang leader I heard about." Musashi said, "The one who plans it invade Vale through the train system."

"It was a mission I inherited from higher-ups, but I fully intend to see it through," Adam responded. His head leaned forward, glaring through his mask, "Tell me, why is someone from Apocrypha here?"

"It's that obvious that I'm a tourist," Musashi responded with a smirk, but Adam responded focused, "Well, I'm here because I don't like seeing any kind of manslaughter. No matter the arbiter, I will be the one to stop it."

"Yet here you stand, tempting fate by killing faunus lives on Vale." The White Fang Leader responded, "The war you can cause will exceed the one you are trying to prevent."

"Technically, we aren't in Vale right now." She said before readying her two katanas, "But just to be safe, I've kept my hands clean." Musashi said before Adam looked over to see the grunts groaning in pain, but none of the fully unresponsive.

"We're sorry sir," one grunt spoke up, "She's just too strong."

"But you can beat her!" Another grunt spoke up.

"Yeah, kill her!" Another grunt added on, "For the White Fang!"

Adam remained silent for a second before speaking up, "Those still able to walk, move the wounded to our second outpost."

"But Leader-" a grunt spoke up but was interrupted by Adam.

"I'll stay here and deal with this Human," Adam said before readying his weapon, "Without any distraction, I'll be able to defeat her," he ordered with silence filling the area. Slowly, the grunts started to evacuate. Two grunts moved over and picked up the lieutenant, another picking up the chainsaw.

As the crowd was leaving a female grunt gritted her teeth as she glared at Musashi, who was in a lax stance, her right sword resting the shoulder. The female White Fang grunt raised her rife to fire at the unaware swordswoman. However, she noticed Adam glaring back at his solider. In responses, she lowered her weapon and fled with the rest of the White Fang. Musashi glanced back and smirked before looking towards Adam, "The rumors said you don't care about a fair fight." She commented, "And that you don't care about human lives."

"Their part in this battle is over." Adam responded before grinning, "And rest assured, I can confirm the second rumor right now."

Musashi sighed, "Very well, I guess I should at least give you the same out I gave the rest of your group." The swordsman said before her gaze became stern, "Leave now, or-"

Abruptly, Musashi saw Adam fire at her head. She moved her skull out of the way, the blast whizzing her right ear. As she reposed her swords, Adam was already in front of her. He attempted a downward slash with his red sword but was blocked by her left hand handed katana, "And to answer the first rumor," Adam said before jabbing Musashi un the gut with end of his sheath, launching her back a few feet, "There is no such thing as a fair fight."

Musashi recovered her stance as she reposed with her two katanas. She then dashed forward but had a look of confusion as Adam sheathed his blade. Once she was within range, he pulled the trigger of his sheath, launching the sword out for a horizontal slash. At the last moment, Musashi jumped the cut. The swordswoman flipped over the White Fang Leader, aiming to slash him in the back. However, Adam blocked with his sheath before pivoting backward. He attempted a vertical slash with his red sword, but Musashi blocked with her lefthanded katana.

Musashi was launched another few feet away before recovering rushing back towards Adam. This time, he focused his gaze on her through his red sword as if he was looking down the scope of sniper rife. Once close enough, he thrusted his blade directly towards Musashi's right eye.

However, Musashi evaded the stab while keeping her momentum. She then tackled him to the ground, forcing him on his back. the swordswoman sat on his chest; her knees pressed against his shoulders. Musashi crossed her two katana's forming an x-shaped guillotine over his neck. The White Fang Leader gritted his teeth as Musashi smirked, "Not bad for someone self-taught. At least I'm assuming since I haven't seen anyone fight like you before." She said as Adam tried to move his hand with each weapon, but Musashi applied more presser to his shoulder. His right hand was unable to move his red sword. While he would swing his sheath, I could not reach Musashi, and the barrel was aimed near the ground. "Easy now, I could dislocate both your arms. Then how will you fight? Will you hold that sword with your teeth?"

"I'll bite out your throat," Adam said before aiming his sheath at the ground. He fired just he let go of the sheath, launching it at Musashi's head. the end of the sheath collided with the side of her skull, putting her in a staggered state. Adam used his left hand to pull the right katana away from his neck. He then pushed Musashi to the ground, sitting on her stomach with his left leg stepping on her right elbow. The White Fang Leader then plunged his sword towards her neck, but Musashi misdirected it with her lefthanded katana. The red bladed embedded in the ground near her throat. Sparks emerging as the two blades grinded against one another. Adam placed his other hand on the handle of his sword, the blade now inching closer to decapitating Musashi.

Sweat on her forehead, Musashi run her katana up the red sword. The motion of her left hand was like a punch as she bashed the handguard of her weapon into the White Fang Leader's mask, cracking it. As Adam recoiled, Musashi freed her left leg before kicking him in the stomach, launching him back a couple of meters. Adam led near his sheath, picking it up as he stood. Musashi stood back up, reposing her weapons in each hand. However, her eyes widened as she saw the mask break off, revealing his face. Adam's right eye was blue, but his left was sealed shut, scared with was appeared to be a branded number mark.

Adam's eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword, "Everyone who sees this…they all have the same reaction." He said before the image of the back cat faunus appeared to his mind, "…Everyone…" Adam said as that image got further and further away.

"…" Musashi said before sheathing her swords.

"You think I want your pity!?" Adam said as his voice filled with rage, "Who do you think you are!?"

Musashi closed her eyes, "Namu, Tenman Daijizai Tenjin." She chanted as Adam had a look of confusion. Suddenly, a pillar of white light surrounded by a rainbow of colors erupted from Musashi's body. Adam then took a step back in astonish as the upper torso of a man emerged., his size that of the nearby collapsed building. His eyes and fanged mouth resembled that of a Grimm beast, the skin grey in tone. With an extra set of arms, the man wielded four gigantic blades, "Nioh Kurikara!" Musashi declared before opening her eyes, "Shoutenshou!" Suddenly, the human beast roared as he swung his upper left arm, the blade having a yellow glow of energy. Adam avoided most of the brunt of the attack but watched as the gigantic sword destroyed a section of the train. The White Fang Leader gasped as he saw the next swing. This one from the upper right arm with a blue wave of energy. He jumped to dodge the blast, but another section of the train was destroyed. Before Adam could fully recovery, another sword slash was heading his way. The lower left arm swung with a red wave of energy. Adam was thrown away in the shockwave. This time, the slash looked out half the dust and paladins meet to be loaded on the train. Adam shut his eye for a second in response to the pain, but then opened it when he saw the fourth gigantic sword coming, green energy following it. Barley able to get out of the way, Adam saw the other half of the supplies destroyed. As he refocused on Musashi, the White Fang Leader realized she was not done yet as she held a katana with both hands on the handle, "Come hither, my roaring sword, now unsheathed!" the swordswoman said as a pillar of white light erupted from her blade, reaching taller than the human beast, "Ishana, Daitenshou! Musashi declared before slamming the katana in a downward slash, the beam of light enveloping everything, including Adam.

Overtop in the above city, the ground exploded in a blast of light emerging. The collapsing building fully breaking apart as they fell into the deep below. Any unlucky Grimm in the area were crushed by the debris, more were destroyed in the flash. As the smoke cleared, Musashi stood where she was. Everything in front of her was in ruins, only rocks and scrap metal remained. The human beast started to fade away as Musashi sheathed her sword. As she took her first step away, she closed her eyes and sighed.

However, she opened them at the sound of something rumbling behind her. In turning around, she saw some of the stone break apart as Adam emerged from the rubble. His coat tattered and blood leaking from the top of his head, the White Fang Leader used his sword to aid in his standing up. "If you had stayed there, I would have thought you were dead." Musashi said as she placed her hands on her katanas, "You could have walked away from this alive."

"As I said, I don't need your pity." Adam said as he forced himself to stand up, reposing his weapon, "All I need is to kill you." He said as Musashi drew her blades. However, she had a look of confusion as she heard more rumbling. Around her in the carnage emerged four more Adams, each with a different aura around them; red, green, blue, and yellow, "It did a great deal for my semblance, but your attack did hurt me quite a lot." Adam said as his clones reposed their swords as well, "Trust me, this will hurt you a lot more."

A silence then fell over the area as Musashi watched for the first move. In response, the blue aura Adam rushed her from behind. She turned to face him but felt the green aura Adam move faster towards her, jumping with a downward swing. The swordswoman dodged right, attempting to slash him in the chest, but the real Adam blocked the blade with his own. He then shoulder-tackled Musashi, pushing her a few feet back. In her stunned state, she felt a sting in her back of her left leg. She glanced back to the red aura Adam had stabbed her in the back of her thigh. She elbowed him in the back, causing him to violently yank his sword out of her flesh. Her blood shot out, her left leg going slightly numb. She then looked to see the three Adams rushing her, each swinging the red sword a different direction.

Musashi was pushed back as she parried the strikes one after another. In seeing an opportunity, she stabbed the blue aura Adam in the heart. The clone gasped in terror, but then had a slight smile on his face. While the swordswoman was confused at the expression, she then saw another red blade burst out of the chest of the blue aura clone. Musashi barely had time to jump back as the sword entered an inch into her abdomen. She looked back to see the blue aura Adam fade away, revealing the yellow aura Adam had stabbed through his clone's body. He, the green aura Adam, and the real Adam, all reposed their weapons. Musashi felt a little bit of blood form in the corner of her mouth as she readied to fight as the ran for her.

Rushing from behind was the red aura Adam again, this time aiming for the middle of Musashi's spine with a horizontal slice. However, Musashi saw this one coming. She ducked the blade as she spun with her katanas, bisecting the red aura clone before the three could arrive. The swordswoman stood back up as the three attacked her in the same many. In parring the blades, Musashi saw another opportunity. She noticed the yellow aura clone moving back from the group like before, but he left himself defenseless. Musashi around the other two before standing in front of the yellow aura Adam, stabbing him in the chest with her righthanded katana.

The real Adam then rushed from the left for a vertical slash, but she blocked with her lefthanded katana. Musashi saw the green aura Adam doing the same form the right side, causing her to pull out her Katana form the other clone. However, she found herself unable to as the yellow aura Adam had not yet fully faded, his hands tightly grasped the katana as he cackled to himself. In her desperation, Musashi let go of her righthanded katana and kicked the yellow aura Adam away. She had barely enough time to avoid the green aura Adam's slash.

Musashi then kicked away the real Adam as she focused on the last clone. The two engaged in a clash of the blade, each not giving the other an inch. The slashes mirrored each other as sparks flew. Suddenly, both blades pieced their opponents' right side of the abdomen. Through the pain, Musashi gritted her teeth as she violently pulled out her katana from the clone's body. Before he could do the same, Musashi grabbed his right arm and cut it off with her katana. The green aura clone looked at the stump of his hand for a second before realizing Musashi was already in the middle of another swing, this one decapitating his head from his body.

The last of the clones faded, as did their weapons. Musashi coughed blood as more spewed out her wounds. She then turned to see the real Adam, glaring as he was out of breath as well. The two then reposed their weapons at the same time, another silence falling over the conflict. In the break of the wind, the two rushed for one another, reaching screaming what they believed to be their final battle cry.

In a flash of the collision, Musashi and Adam stood a few meters from the other, back to back. Their stance remained as if they unleashed their final move, but the White Fang Leader's blade was tipped with his opponent's blood. Musashi's dropped her katana and fell to her knees. She screamed in agony as she placed both hands over the right side of her face, trying to stop the blood from spewing out. Adam turned with a smirk on his face, taking a step towards the swordswoman with intent to finish what he started. However, he then realized it. A sharp pain ran across his chest before his mouth filled with blood. Suddenly, the front of his chest slit open with a geyser of blood shooting out. Adam fell on his back he dropped his sword, laying in a pool of his own blood. As he looked up at the night sky, the image of the black cat faunus returned to him. He reached out towards the image with the last of his strength, but his arm then fell limp to his side.

 _Present time_

"There you go," Musashi said before slurring the last of her noodles, "That's how I lost my eye."

"So, you stopped an entire White Fang terrorist act and killed one of their leaders?" Cleo said before having a smirk, "That's not bad for a day's work."

"That's also not entirely true." Musashi corrected, "Whatever they were planning was foiled, but I didn't kill anyone." She said with the others looking at her in confusion, "As he said, it could cause a bigger war if news got out a student from Chaldea was on a murder spree in another kingdom." She said before scratching the back of her head, a goofy smile on her face, "I'm lucky there wasn't a Grimm extinction team in the above city when I did my Noble Phantasm."

"So, what happened to Adam?" Blake asked, "I mean, the White Fang Leader."

"I made sure he wouldn't bleed out entirely before making an anonymous call to the military." Musashi responded, "I saw them pick him up, while I snuck away unseen. Now, he's detained in their prison."

"Well, good riddance." Nitocris said as she crossed her arms, "The White Fang, giving faunus a bad name like that."

"Yeah," Yang commented, "This world doesn't need murderers like him."

"Are you saying you would have left him to die?" Blake said, not making eye contact with her teammate.

"No, I'm not that heartless. You know that Blake." Yang said as she realized her friend's history. She then turned to Musashi, "I mean, he took your eye, but you don't seem that shook up about it now."

"I've had my time to adjust," Musashi said as she placed her right hand over her eyepatch, "It still stings, but I can live with one eye."

"Still, that's a cheap move to go for someone's eye." Cleo said with distain in her voice.

"Like he also said, there are no fair fights." Musashi said before she looked at her scroll, "I need to go, I still have one more delivery to make. So, somebody else has to tell a story while I'm gone." She said before having a recollection, turning to Cleo, "Oh, how about you tell about that one time you were playing an MMO with Tomoe. Then you started filing with this one guy online to the point you wanted to meet in person. And when you did, he turned out to be super fat."

"MUSASHI!" Cleo said as her face turned red, "I said never to tell that story to anyone!"

"Whoops, got to go!" Musashi said with a smile before running out the room. Cleo turned to see Nitocris giggle as she looked at her, causing the snake-haired queen to pout.

Yang chuckled before noticing her remained silent, looking at the ground, "Hey, you going to be okay?" Yang said as she placed her left hand on her teammates back.

"…Yeah," Blake said before looking at Yang with a weak smile, "I just…I'm happy nobody died." She said with Yang having the same weak smile form on her face.

 _Adam_

Far off inside an Atlas airship, Musashi had her deliver backpack run through a metal detector. After the guard approved it, he pointed down the hall. Musashi nodded before taking her backpacking and walking. Along the way, she passed two Atlas soldiers, each wiping off blood from there knuckles. She glared at them, but they paid her no mind in passing. Musashi made it to a metal door before opening it.

Inside was the Leader of the White Fang, his outfit now an Atlas prison uniform. Adam sat in the center of the room in a chair, his hands and feet cuffed with a chain to the middle of the floors. In the upper right of the room was a camera with a blinking red light. Slowly, he raised his head to Musashi. His face was a mess; his lip cut, blood running down from the top of his head, a black eye over his branded side of his face, "You again…" He said as Musashi took off her backpack, "Why…"

"I have an order of noodles for you." Musashi said as she pulled out the bowl from her backpack, "Don't worry, I'll add it to your tab. I don't know what they're feeding you here, but I guarantee this is better." She said before noticing Adam's figure was thinner than before, having lost some of his muscle definition, "You should eat."

"I don't need your pity." Adam responded before lowering his head, "Just leave me alone."

"Yeah, you say that every time. But I don't listen." Musashi responded as she crossed her arms.

"You think you understand me?" Adam said before looking up at with a glare, "A human can never understand what it is like to be born a faunus. At the very second of my exitance, people hated me."

"You think my parents gave me a boy's name because they wanted a daughter?" Musashi responded, causing Adam to go silent, "We don't get to choose what we're born into this life as." She said before picking up her backpack, "But we do get to choose what we do with this life." Musashi put on her backpack before walking towards the door, "See you next week." She said as Adam lowered his head.

Musashi sighed as she opened the door. As she walked out, a large male Atlas soldier with brown hair walked into the room, cracking his knuckles. He looked up at the camera before the light stopped blinking, then turned back to Adam with a smirk, "Well, look what we have here." The Atlas grunt said as looked at the bowl of noodles, "Looks like I'll have a snack after I'm finished with you today." The Atlas grunt said as Adam remained unresponsive, "Hey, I'm talking to you!" The Atlas grunt took his right hand, yanking Adam's left bull horn back. He glared into the White Fang Leader's eye, "That terrorist group you lead killed a lot of my friends." The Atlas grunt said as Adam remained unresponsive, "Anything to say about that!?"

"…It is not wise to touch a faunus on their animal trait," Adam responded.

"Why?" The Atlas grunt said with a chuckle, "Wait, I know this one. You mess with the bull, you get the-" Suddenly, Adam punched the Atlas grunt between the legs in the sensitive area. His eyes widened in pain as the grip on the horn was loosened. Adam then rammed his head into the Atlas grunt's stomach. The White Fang Leader then chucked him over his body and chair. The Atlas grunt slammed upside down in the opposite wall before sliding down on his head, laying there unconscious.

Adam sighed as he sat back in his chair. However, he glanced over at the noodles. He knew this assault was going to have a restriction on his food again, and his stomach rumbled. After a few second of debate, Adam picked up the bowl of noodles, opening the lid. The steam fumed on his face before he gave it a slight blow. He then slurped the noodles in a tiny taste before stopping, "…This does taste better than I thought." Adam said before taking a larger slurp of the noodles. Unaware to him, the door was in a jar. Looking from the outside was Musashi, who had a small smile before silently closing the door.

 **AN: There you go, the end of V2 in this continuity. Musashi had her own mini adventure while everyone else was in Apocrypha. She fights the White Fang and loses her eye to Adam. I'll admit he acts a bit OOC in this chapter at times, but I general did not like his character after the ending of V3. He had a cool design and potential for an interesting character, but then they went the 'Hello Darling' route with him and I just... To keep it short, I don't want 'that' character in this series. And I wanted to give him a little personality here that makes him a bit more complex, based on what was reveled in V6.**

 **As I close out the last AN, I wanted to let you all know about the sequel. I will work on one in my off time between some other short story idea. Once I have the first four or so chapters made, I'll do a daily binge upload. As far as what I can say I have planned, the story will take place a year later from the events of this story. Team RWBY will be the focal main characters to follow, each having a separate mission to complete. Ruby will be attending a newly established academy as a transfer, Weiss will help her sister with a special operation, Blake will handle an issue with the White Fang, and Yang will be getting close to finding her mom. (All of this would be set up by chapter one, so it's not a spoiler). Not everyone will be returning, but the new character I plan to add have me wanting to get started right now. I won't give a timeframe when it will come out but know I will work on it as I have the time. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope enjoyed Fates Collide.**

 **Edit: The Sequel, Lost to Dust, is now being posted.**


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